O' Ra, Why Me?
by Sirithiliel
Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, the Shadow Realm becomes unpredictable. Non Yaoi.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Nothing that resembles another's work is mine.  
  
Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?  
  
In this story, Yami Bakura and Marik and Yami have their own forms. This story is a companion piece to "The Trill of the Game."  
  
;......... Yami thinking  
  
/........./ Hikari thinking  
  
(A/N: .........) Author's note  
  
'.........' normal thoughts  
  
"........." normal speech  
  
Chapter One:  
  
Yami Bakura grinned evilly as he watched the two platinum haired Egyptians climbed up to him.  
  
"About time you two got up here." The ancient spirit of a tomb robber said, helping one of them up onto the roof he was standing on.  
  
"Well, you didn't tell us WHICH part of the school you would be by. Or on." Malik amended, looking down at the ground where.  
  
"Yeah, what are we going to do from the roof of the school?" Marik, Malik's 'yami', said.  
  
(A/N: Marik is considered a Yami in this story.)  
  
"Why, loads of stuff!" Yami Bakura cried, eyes wide in faked shock. Marik snorted and Malik smiled a bit.  
  
"Then inform us, O' Wise One." The Egyptian said.  
  
"Very well then. My dearest hikari is in school on such a nice day. Why, he's in that window right there." Yami Bakura pointed to a distant window, where Ryou's class was.  
  
"Being such a nice day, I thought I might as well give him time to do leisure activities." Yami Bakura finished.  
  
Marik snorted again. "No your not. You just want to annoy the pharaoh. He's joined with his light, that little Yugi, during school." He said, stretching slightly as he surveyed the deserted school grounds and the track team who were jogging laps.  
  
"Alright, but it's the same thing." Yami Bakura admitted, smiling even more broadly.  
  
Malik grinned as well. "So what are we going to do?" He said with an eager gleam in his lavender eyes. (A/N: They are lavender, right?)  
  
"Well.........first I think it would be fun to let the school out for the day." Yami Bakura said, looking at Malik as if he was dense. "Is that not what I had just said?"  
  
"That's all we're going to do?" Malik asked, disappointed.  
  
Yami Bakura cast him a scornful look. "Of course not! We will do more, but Yami, that baka pharaoh, said Ryou and I needed to BOND more. So, we will spend the day together." Yami Bakura scowled at the distant window, where Yugi and Ryou were having class.  
  
Malik grinned again. "So Ryou will be joining us? Joy! He never does much that would make his life more interesting. He deserves a day with us three." Malik waved his arm at his yami and the tomb robber.  
  
"Exactly. Since the pharaoh suggested it, and it seems like a good idea, why not start now?" Yami Bakura asked innocently. "Malik, you know the school, and no one who sees you in the halls would know your skipping classes today, so go pull a fire alarm."  
  
"Pull it? They'll only stop the alarm and continue classes." Malik said with confusion.  
  
Yami Bakura grinned. "Leave the rest to us." He said. Malik grinned and climbed down from the school, entering through one of the doors.  
  
Yami Bakura watched, then turned and grinned at Marik.  
  
(In the classroom.)  
  
"So the estimate of the square root of the figure is similar to the ratio of the circumference of the circle........." the teacher droned on at the head of the classroom.  
  
Ryou rolled his eyes and dropped his head onto his arms. Joey, sitting next to him, groaned.  
  
"Too many words........." he moaned in a whisper to Ryou. The white haired boy grinned sympathetically. How he wished he could leave this class!  
  
Your wish is my command.  
  
Ryou jumped, eyes widening. What was Yami Bakura up to now.  
  
/Yami? What do you mean?/ He asked back, desperate to know what trouble his yami was getting into.  
  
But there was no answer.  
  
Seconds later, the fire alarm rang.  
  
The teacher looked up from her figures on the black board, regarding the blinking fire alarm with annoyance.  
  
"Alright class, let's head outside until this is fixed." She said, curtly closing her book and motioning for the class to stand and follow.  
  
As everyone filtered outside, they noticed something else. Not only was the fire alarm going off, but also so was every other alarm in the school.  
  
Then, as one, all the computers, phones, and other electrical equipment turned off.  
  
The teachers and principal were panicking. Finally, the principal turned and was handed a bullhorn from somewhere. He raised it.  
  
"EVERYONE GO HOME! DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, THE SCHOOL IS CLOSED FOR TODAY!" He said, finishing it up and shouting orders at the teachers to try and shut off the alarms. After all, how can you continue school when nothing worked and alarms were going off?  
  
Cheers rang out as the students dispersed, having brought their stuff with them during the fire alarm.  
  
Atop the roof, the three miscreants watched with amusement.  
  
(Back with the students.)  
  
"Oh, man!" Ryou moaned, burying his face in his hands as he walked with Yugi.  
  
"What is the matter, Ryou?" Yugi asked, concerned.  
  
"This.......this is all my yami's fault!" Ryou cried, and there was a brief mutter before Yami Yugi, (known as just Yami in this story.) appeared.  
  
"That baka tomb robber is the cause of this?" He asked, the very being of calm confidence.  
  
"Indeed it was." Came Yami Bakura's husky voice from behind them. Laughter accompanied his words.  
  
Turning, they saw Yami Bakura, Malik, and Marik standing behind them, all three looking proud of themselves.  
  
"What possessed you to decide to close the school?" Yami asked, glaring at the three.  
  
"Why, Pharaoh! You were the one who suggested it to us!" Yami Bakura said, wide eyed in mock innocence.  
  
"What? I did no such thing!" Yami exclaimed, shocked.  
  
"Oh! But you DID! You said Ryou and I should spend time together. Well, it is a nice day, so I figured to take YOUR advice and spend time with my little light." Yami Bakura draped an arm around Ryou's shoulders, causing the boy to pale slightly. He remembered the last time he and Yami Bakura 'bonded'. Malik and his sister Isis had nearly killed him.  
  
But that HAD been fun, too.  
  
"I meant quality, LEGAL time together and proper bonding! Bringing your light around with you and making him STEAL is not the proper thing to do! Besides, tomorrow is Saturday, you could have done something then!" Yami replied.  
  
"It's not like that makes a difference to me." Yami Bakura answered back promptly, a mocking smile on his face. Yami growled.  
  
"We are going to spend time together, that should satisfy you." Yami Bakura lost the smile, mocking as it was.  
  
Yami suddenly smiled. "Fine. But it can be helpful to you as well." He grinned that confident grin that angered Yami Bakura many times before.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yami Bakura snarled.  
  
"Well, as Yugi is teaching me about the devices of this world, the technology, I think Ryou should do the same with you. You gave yourself enough time to do so, by closing the school." Yami grinned wider. He had won this round.  
  
Yami Bakura growled as he felt Ryou's approval through their mind link. Trust in the pharaoh to turn is successful victory into a boring lesson about the stupid technology of this era!  
  
"I know all about the technology that matters." The tomb robber replied, patting his Duel Deck, the meaning about the Dueling system was clear behind his words.  
  
"Not all that matters." Yami shot back. He knew he had won.  
  
Yami Bakura was about to snarl an insult in response, but Ryou interrupted him.  
  
"I agree." They two yamis regarded him with surprise. Undaunted, Ryou continued.  
  
"I think it is a very good idea for you to learn the modern day technology, Bakura." Ryou told his yami, ignoring the tomb robber's shocked and rebellious look.  
  
"No! I don't need to." Yami Bakura snarled, but he knew he lost, as Ryou began giving him those big, pleading eyes.  
  
"Please, Yami? You'll never know when it becomes useful to know these things." Ryou begged. It was for his own good, but it would give Ryou a chance to show his yami something for a change.  
  
Yami Bakura tried to ignore the eyes, but it was near impossible too.  
  
(A/N: I incorporated "hikari eyes" from other peoples' stories into mine, that all right with everyone? Soon I will have "Chibi Eyes" too.)  
  
"Fine." He muttered. Hey, how bad could it be?  
  
Ryou smiled, and grabbed his yami's hand and hauled him towards their house.  
  
"Since you had gone and closed the school, we can get started now!" Ryou exclaimed joyfully. Yami Bakura sighed, as his evil hikari pulled him away from a smirking Yami and a smiling Yugi.  
  
(In their house)  
  
Beginning Lesson One:  
  
The Kitchen: the stove, the sink, the toaster.  
  
"What is the purpose of this?" Yami Bakura growled in annoyance. He looked at the stove in front of him. He had seen Ryou use it, but he had never bothered to pay attention.  
  
Maybe he should have.  
  
"Now, you turn the little knob, use that one right there for the burner we are using, and that turns on the heat." Ryou explained.  
  
"Any fire?" Yami Bakura asked hopefully. There should be some fun here.  
  
"No, we have a electric stove." Ryou said, ignoring Yami Bakura's disappointed look.  
  
"Now, after you start the stove you........." Ryou went on, and losing Yami Bakura's full attention.  
  
Ryou pulled him over to another side of the kitchen suddenly, interrupting his thoughts on world domination and collecting all seven items. Hey, he swore not too after Battle City, but can't he dream?  
  
"This is the sink. You turn that faucet for hot water, that one for cold. It's pretty simple. Now the toaster, you can make toast, heat pop tarts or anything like that." Ryou said, pointing to the slotted machine.  
  
Lesson Two:  
  
The Kitchen: the fridge, the oven, the microwave.  
  
"This is the fridge. You should know what this does, as you used it before." Ryou began, but Yami Bakura interrupted him with a dismissive wave of his hand.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. It keeps food cold and preserved. Can we PLEASE move on?" He growled impatiently.  
  
"Okay, this is the oven. I use it to bake stuff. You set the dial, and ready whatever you're going to use, and bake it in there." Ryou instructed, deciding he would have to bake cookies with his yami. That would be an interesting thing to see. Yami Bakura would probably refuse outright.  
  
"Still no fire?" Yami Bakura asked despairingly.  
  
"No fire. Only a grill uses fire when it cooks." Ryou retorted, a bit annoyed.  
  
"A grill? Do we have one?" He began looking around the kitchen.  
  
"No! We don't have one." Ryou sighed.  
  
"Oh." Once again, Yami Bakura lost interest in what was going on.  
  
"This is the microwave. You can heat things up in it." Ryou said. He began to go on about the other items of importance, but Yami Bakura interrupted him again.  
  
"Really?" The spirit was always interested in something that could make something go faster and easier. To be able to heat up leftovers by himself instead of having Ryou do it could go a lot faster. (And he could do it whenever he wanted, so Ryou wouldn't have to know.)  
  
"Yes, now to the other rooms." Ryou led the way, and Yami Bakura heaved a sigh again.  
  
Lesson Three:  
  
The Living Room: The vacuum  
  
"You already know how to work the lights, so we'll skip those. I know you know how to work the TV, but we'll review it." Ryou began pointing out how to turn it on, how to change the channels, the VCR, and about every other little detail he thought was important.  
  
"Now, if I teach you how to use the vacuum, then you can clean up your own messes!" Ryou was smiling at the thought, though Yami Bakura was sure he would do no such thing.  
  
He had seen Ryou use the vacuum, so he was prepared for the horrible noise. Ryou shouted over the noise, showing how to use it. Yami Bakura nodded at the right times, bored with the proceedings.  
  
Ryou saw the expression on his yami's face, and decided to move on before Yami Bakura decided to do something irrational to amuse himself.  
  
Lesson Four:  
  
The Hallway: the phone.  
  
"Now, I don't know why I'm showing you this, but as you have a physical body now it might be difficult for you to heal yourself if you get into trouble. For emergencies call my number, which is right here by the phone." Ryou pointed to a paper taped next to the odd machine he was talking about.  
  
"Now, you can call people with this. I have Yugi's number, Joey's number, Tristan's, and Duke's." Ryou said, pointing to the list of names under his own number.  
  
"Not Malik's?" Yami Bakura asked innocently. If he could contact Malik and Marik using this machine, it would be a lot faster for them to get together.  
  
"No, but if you insist I will get it at school Monday or you can ask him when you next see him." Suddenly, Ryou seemed uncomfortable, shifting slightly, as if a thought had just struck him.  
  
Yami Bakura frowned, and accessed their bond. It was closed, Ryou was hiding something.  
  
"What is it, Ryou?" he growled. Ryou shifted again under his glare, but then sighed.  
  
"Since tomorrow is Saturday, and it's going to be a nice day, I thought everyone could come over for the day, and maybe have dinner with us too." Ryou prepared himself for the storm that, sure enough, followed.  
  
"WHAT!! WHY?? There is no cause for that! Why must we have it with everybody else for the WHOLE DAY??" Yami Bakura ranted.  
  
"You can invite Marik and Malik." Ryou pleaded desperately. He wanted to have tomorrow with his friends. It's not often that they all get to spend time together, some are always working or are busy elsewhere.  
  
Yami Bakura hesitated. Invite Marik and Malik? That would take some of the boredom out of a whole day with Ryou's friends........  
  
"Fine." Yami Bakura agreed, a gleam in his eyes that Ryou didn't totally like. But he wanted to have tomorrow with his friends, so he would let his yami do whatever as long as it doesn't wound, kill, or destroy anyone or anything.  
  
(The Next Day.)  
  
The doorbell rang and Ryou ran to go answer it. He had called everyone the night before, after he explained to his yami the rules. No killing, wounding, destroying, stealing, or sending people to the Shadow Realm.  
  
Basically, no fun things at all, in Yami Bakura's opinion.  
  
Opening the door, he let Joey, Yugi, Yami, Tristan, and Duke inside. Tea was going to arrive later, as she had to work.  
  
"Hey Ryou!" Joey greeted, smiling widely. "I brought games!" He motioned to a load of board games in his hands.  
  
"Hello." Ryou replied, smiling. This was going to be fun!  
  
"So, how did you convince the Tomb Robber to allow you to do this?" Yami wondered as they were led into the living room.  
  
"Ah, well.........we kind of made a deal." Ryou said, and the others stopped their conversations to look at him. A deal with Yami Bakura could be a deal with the Devil at times.  
  
"He's not going to make you steal again, is he?" Joey asked. That had been funny, but this time the spirit might make Ryou do something that he could get in serious trouble for.  
  
Like stealing from Seto Kaiba.  
  
"Oh no! Nothing like that! But –"Ryou was interrupted as the front door opened.  
  
Malik and Marik stood in the doorway, smiling broadly and not very nicely.  
  
The others stared in shock, and then realized the nature of the deal between Ryou and his yami. They, in turn, stared at Ryou in shock.  
  
"Well.........I figured I was going to be spending the day with my friends, it would be unfair to make yami go into his soul room for the entire day or hang out with us, which I knew you wouldn't appreciate. I'm NOT letting him roam Domino City, so this was the only option I came up with." Ryou answered to their looks.  
  
"Oy! Ryou! Where's 'Kura?" Malik called cheerfully, waving a tanned arm at the white haired hikari.  
  
"Kura?" Yami whispered in an undertone to the others, who smiled.  
  
"Bakura is upstairs, hiding from my friends." Ryou replied just as cheerfully. He got along with Malik just fine, and would even go as far as to call him a friend. He would have invited him today as well, even without the deal with Yami Bakura, if he knew his other friends didn't like him.  
  
"Gotcha." Malik said, nodding to Ryou, and he ran up the stairs as if the house was his own, his yami following at a more sedate pace, eyeing those in the living room.  
  
When they were gone, Yami looked at Ryou.  
  
"So you allowed Yami Bakura to invite them in order for us to be allowed to come over?" Yami asked with slight misgiving. Those three cooped up in the house together?  
  
"Yes." Ryou muttered, watching the stairs a bit apprehensively.  
  
(With the 'psychos', aka Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik.)  
  
"So what are we going to do?" Malik asked, draped over Yami Bakura's bed. (A/N: Hey, he has a physical body now, so he should be able to have his own room.)  
  
"Well, Ryou has forbidden any killing, wounding, or sending people to the Shadow Realm, so we aren't left with a lot to do." Yami Bakura answered back dully, laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Marik was leaning against the wall, watching the other two and examining the things in the room.  
  
Some of them didn't seem to belong to Yami Bakura, as they were expensive looking. Probably small tokens taken off from people when Ryou wasn't fully looking or watching him.  
  
Malik twirled the Millennium Rod around in one hand, watching as the mid- morning sunlight reflected off its gold shaft. Tired of the silence, he started another conversation.  
  
"Did Ryou teach you anything?" He asked Yami Bakura, and smiled slightly as the other growled.  
  
"Yes. Some of it is useful, but the rest I'm sure he can take care of without my help, so I don't know why he insisted I learn." Yami Bakura muttered, watching the shadows play on the ceiling.  
  
"Like what? Marik knows everything about the stuff of today, because I know everything. I could've taught you." Malik stated thoughtfully.  
  
"What!" Yami Bakura's eyes widened.  
  
"Yeah. So what things do you think are useful to use?" Malik asked, hoping the spirit wouldn't be too upset about that bit of information.  
  
"The phone, and the microware." Yami Bakura said, waving the rest off dismissively.  
  
"The microwave. Not microware." Malik corrected.  
  
"I'm hungry." Marik stated from his wall. "If you know how to use the microwave, go fix us something."  
  
"Yeah, what do you got, 'Kura?" Malik asked, rolling onto his stomach to look at Yami Bakura.  
  
"I don't know. Let's go down and see. We can avoid the living room if we're careful." The spirit stood up and walked out, followed by the other two.  
  
They crept down the hallway, Yami Bakura quieter than the other two, but that was to be expected.  
  
Moving quickly past the living room without being noticed, they entered the kitchen.  
  
Yami Bakura went to the fridge and pulled the door open, grabbing a random bowl. Checking the contents, he shrugged and decided to try out the microwave.  
  
The voices in the next room rose slightly, one coming closer. The three looked up as Joey walked into the kitchen, talking back over his shoulder. He turned away and faced the kitchen, and the three standing there.  
  
"Ah.........hello, I, um, was just getting some chips." He hurriedly grabbed a bag of chips from the kitchen table where Ryou had laid out snacks, and practically ran back to the living room.  
  
Questioning voices were heard, but Joey's reply was too low to hear.  
  
"Hurry up, I want to get back upstairs." Marik mumbled, tilting his head as he watched Yami Bakura punch numbers. Something didn't seem right.........but as he had never actually learned the stuff himself, he only knew what Malik knew, and so he couldn't right away say what he thought was wrong.  
  
Malik did.  
  
"NO! Don't put a metal bowl in the micro – "He was cut off as the microwave hissed and fizzed with electricity, the metal bowl's side reflecting the microwave's heat waves.  
  
Yami Bakura, startled and sensing Ryou's panic from within the living room, did the first thing he though of.  
  
Send the Ra cursed machine to the Shadow Realm.  
  
Dark energy gathered around him, and he was about to release it at the smoking microwave when it blasted outwards, catching and reflecting the Shadow Magic into the three in the kitchen.  
  
Yami Bakura felt himself blown back into the counter behind him. If it had just been the machine, the effect wouldn't have been so strong, but since Shadow Magic was combined it packed a powerful punch. Who knew what side effect a charged Shadow Magic blast could do?  
  
When the blast dissipated and died down, Yami Bakura found himself on his stomach on the ground, feeling bruises that were forming and a strange, light headed feeling.  
  
Marik was also on the ground, not too far away, while Malik managed to catch himself on the counter top, barely. He was on his knees, and finally just released the counter top and slid to the floor, also feeling light headed.  
  
The people in the living room came rushing out to see what had happened. They had heard the blast and Malik's shout, as well as Yami feeling the summoning of the Shadow Realm.  
  
They found the smoking microwave and the three lying stunned on the tiled floor.  
  
"Yami!" Ryou cried, rushing forwards. Something wasn't right here; something about his yami was different.  
  
Yami Bakura moaned and rolled over onto his side, trying to work his way to his knees, and from they're to his feet. Ryou was at his side, helping him up, as Marik and Malik tried to stand as well.  
  
"What happened?" Ryou asked worriedly. Something was wrong; he felt it through their bond.  
  
"That stupid machine was smoking, so I tried to banish it as you wouldn't want a fire. But it reflected it back into us." His mind went to the skies as another dizzy spell went through.  
  
Nearby, Marik collapsed as he felt the same. Malik blinked dazedly and leaned against the fridge.  
  
Yami Bakura shrugged Ryou off and straightened. He was staring straight at Yami.  
  
"By Ra!" Yami exclaimed, staring at the confused Yami Bakura.  
  
"What?" Yugi asked, as Yami stared intently at Yami Bakura, then Marik, and then Malik.  
  
"They're younger." Yami whispered, causing everyone else to examine the three closely.  
  
"What? What are you talking about?" Marik demanded, uncomfortable with them staring at him.  
  
"Your younger. Somehow the Shadow Realm blast caused you to de-age. You look about.........twelve years old." The ex-pharaoh said, still staring the three of them.  
  
Ryou then realized why he thought his yami looked different and felt different through their bond. His yami was younger.  
  
So was Marik and Malik. The two of them were staring at each other, recognizing the change through looks and bond as well.  
  
"Oh boy." Ryou muttered.  
  
(End Chapter.)  
  
Good? Not a totally original idea, but I tried. I wanted to do a story like this. Should I continue? Please no flames!

It will be a while before I can update, as I am going to Michigan for the summer. If I can, I will try to get another chapter up before I leave in a week!


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.  
  
Review responses at the end of the chapter.  
  
Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?  
  
......... Yami thinking  
  
/........./ Hikari thinking  
  
'.........' Normal thought  
  
"........." Normal speech  
  
(A/N:.........) Author's Note  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Ryou was at a loss. The three de-aged boys were in the living room, recovering of the shock. Everyone else stood in the kitchen watching and talking softly.  
  
Yami Bakura sat on the couch, thinking over what had happened. He was twelve. He had gone from fifteen to twelve.  
  
(A/N: heh.........I had forgotten to say in my first chapter that they were fifteen. I mean, they're in high school, or at least their hikari's are. I figured, since I'm in high school and I'm sixteen, they probably will be too. They are sophomores, aren't they?)  
  
How long does this last? Will it keep going? Will they forever be this way?  
  
Those thoughts ran through Yami Bakura's mind, and he groaned and buried his head in his arms.  
  
Malik and Marik were seated in comfy chairs, also thinking about their situation.  
  
Yami was standing next to Ryou in the kitchen. He found this entire thing hilarious. Yami Bakura and the two Egyptians were kids! It's what they deserved! But at the same time, problems arose. Ryou couldn't possibly contain a twelve-year old Yami Bakura in his soul room while he went to school. A hyper yami would give Ryou too much distractions to concentrate on schoolwork.  
  
So they had to find a way to reverse this.  
  
"We need to fix this." Yugi said, saying what his yami was thinking.  
  
"Yeah, but how?" Joey asked, scratching his head.  
  
"Isis."  
  
They turned their attention back to those in the living room. Malik was looking at them, having overheard their conversation.  
  
"Isis can help. She has a Millennium item. She can see how to fix this, or how long it will last." Malik said, his voice a bit higher than usual due to his new age.  
  
/Yami? Are you okay?/ Ryou asked Yami Bakura through their bond.  
  
FINE! Just peachy! Never been better! Yami Bakura answered, but even his thoughts were different.  
  
Ryou flinched anyways.  
  
"Ryou? What's the matter?" Tristan asked, noticing the look on his face.  
  
"Yami's not in the best of moods." Ryou whispered, watching as said yami turned on the couch to glare at his light.  
  
"Ah." Tristan said, watching the tomb robber turn his attention back to the floor.  
  
"Isis is a good suggestion. I say we go and ask her what to do." Yami said, and the others agree.  
  
Malik sighed with relief. His sister would know what to do. The three de- aged boys stood and followed the older ones out.  
  
(At the Museum.)  
  
Isis was out waiting for them. She obviously had used her Millennium Tauk.  
  
Indeed, for when they got off the bus that had driven them there, she walked forwards.  
  
"I Saw what had happened, and I have your answers. Part of them at least." She said, drawing her brother and his yami aside, looking them over.  
  
Malik looked at his sister hopefully, Marik just grumbled under his breath.  
  
"Well? How do we reverse this process?" Yami Bakura snarled impatiently.  
  
"Let's go inside, and I shall explain." She said, nodding towards the doors.  
  
They walked up the stairs and into the museum, which was closed for the day.  
  
"Will you tell us now what we need to know?" Yami asked as Isis brought them into the room where the Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh was displayed.  
  
"I have part of your answers." Isis said, nodding to Yami with respect. Yami Bakura went around looking at the displays, muttering about what was worth stealing and what was not.  
  
"Can we hear them?" Malik asked, getting tired of his sister's vague answers. Isis nodded her head to her brother, and motioned for Yami Bakura to come back as he wandered a bit too close to a display of Egyptian daggers.  
  
"First off, I do not know how to reverse this." She said, and there was a low moan from Malik, and Ryou sighed. "But I do know that every three days they shall de-age three years, until they reach a certain age, which I have not yet determined. My item does not See everything."  
  
"Three years every three days?" Yami Bakura whispered. That did not sound like good news.  
  
"That is, until we can either reverse it or it goes away by itself." Isis answered. "I shall, of course, watch Malik and Marik. Ryou, will you watch your yami by yourself?" Isis turned to Ryou, who was looking a bit pale.  
  
"I........." Ryou began, but he didn't know. Who would want Yami Bakura around willingly other than him?  
  
"Ryou can stay with us." Yugi suddenly piped in.  
  
Yami turned shocked eyes onto his light, as Yami Bakura and Ryou watched him in disbelief.  
  
"What?" Ryou asked, shocked.  
  
"You and Yami Bakura can stay with us. That way, you won't be the only one to watch him, and he won't be alone when you go to school. I'm sure Yami can deal with him during school." Yugi said, shooting 'the eyes' at his yami.  
  
Yami sighed. He couldn't go against 'the eyes'.  
  
"Thanks Yugi." Ryou said, sincere in his words and with genuine relief.  
  
"Your welcome." Yugi said, smiling at his friend. Yami sighed and glared at Yami Bakura, who looked stricken and pale.  
  
"So we have two days before they de-age another three years? Making them.........nine years?" Joey asked, watching as Marik wandered over to Yami Bakura and whispered something to him.  
  
"Actually, counting today, it would still be three." Tristan said. Yami Bakura's eyes widened at whatever Marik had said, and he turned and shoved the other, who only laughed.  
  
Yami Bakura snarled, and launched himself at Marik, who dodged, still laughing.  
  
Without even consciously knowing it, they were acting like their new age.  
  
"Cut that out!" Yami snapped at them. They separated, Yami Bakura fuming and Marik still laughing.  
  
"I will inform you if I had figured out how to reverse this, or if I find out anything important." Isis told Yugi and Ryou, who nodded in thanks.  
  
"For now, we shall have to have them as they are." Isis said, motioning for Malik and Marik to follow her and bowing her head in farewell to the other as they left. Joey and Tristan went to the arcade, deciding on that instead of staying with the de-aged tomb robber.  
  
"My father is away at a dig, so he won't be home at all. I will leave a message on our answering machine in case he tries to call, so that he knows I'm over at your house, Yugi." Ryou told his friend as he walked beside a sullen Yami Bakura.  
  
"Alright. Do you want to take Yami Bakura with you?" Yugi asked, as they neared Ryou's house.  
  
"If you don't mind, I'd like him to stay with you. I don't think he'd leave the house if he got inside." Ryou answered, ignoring Yami Bakura's glare.  
  
"Alright. See you at the Kame Shop in a little bit. My grandfather is not home either, he had some old friend move in across town and is staying with him for a while. That leaves our house open for you and Yami Bakura." Yugi said, waving goodbye to Ryou.  
  
"Come on, Bakura." Yugi said, smiling cheerfully up at the sullen spirit. (Even twelve years old, Yami Bakura is taller than Yugi. Lol.)  
  
Yami Bakura scowled at the little light, but Yami was also watching him expectantly, so he followed, muttering under his breath and along the bond that linked him to Ryou.  
  
He sensed Ryou's concern, as well as amusement.  
  
(At the Kame Shop.)  
  
Yugi watched as Yami and Yami Bakura engaged in a staring contest from opposite sides of the room. He smiled, it was hard not too when seeing Yami so upset about a twelve year old, and it was funny to see Yami Bakura at that age.  
  
Seeing his grin, Yami Bakura glared at him. Sighing, Yugi turned away from the upset spirit.  
  
A knock on the door signaled Ryou's appearance.  
  
"Hey guys!" Ryou greeted, carrying a bag of clothes for him and Yami Bakura, as well as other necessary items. (toothbrush, etc.)  
  
Yami Bakura sighed with relief. His light was here, he didn't have to worry about the pharaoh anymore.  
  
Ryou wouldn't let Yami do anything to him.  
  
With that thought, Yami Bakura thought it best to save the rest of his shredded dignity and go to a secluded place. Slipping off wasn't so difficult, and he went to find an out of the way room to rest in, without the bothersome pharaoh or Yugi.  
  
"So, how are we going to do this?" Ryou wondered as he sat with Yugi and Yami in their living room.  
  
"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, sipping at a cola.  
  
"Well.........we all know Yami doesn't like Bakura, so leaving them together while we're at school doesn't seem fair." Ryou answered, accepting a cola as well from Yami.  
  
Before anyone could answer to that, the telephone rang. Yugi jumped up to answer it.  
  
"Hello? Oh, hi! Uh huh.........alright..........sure. We were wondering that ourselves. Alright.........Is that okay with you? Good! Thanks! Bye." Yugi hung up and skipped back over to his yami and Ryou.  
  
"Who was that?" Yami asked, as Yugi sat down.  
  
"That was Isis. Evidently she saw the same problem as us, and said you and her could watch the three of them while we're at school." Yugi said cheerfully. (A/N: When is Yugi not cheerful?)  
  
"That works out. I can stay away from them all and she can watch them." Yami said, half joking.  
  
"No! You can't leave her to take care of all three of them! Just be there to help out." Yugi admonished his yami.  
  
Yami sighed, then noticed the absence of the fourth person.  
  
"Where's Bakura?"  
  
(With Bakura)  
  
Finding an empty bedroom, probably the one owned by Yugi's absent grandfather, Yami Bakura walked in and closed the door. The light of the sun was fading, and the room was getting dark.  
  
Passing by a mirror, Yami Bakura stopped. He looked at his newer, younger body, and frowned. Twelve years old.........  
  
With a sigh, he went and slumped over on the bed, figuring Yami or Yugi wasn't using it, as the rooms looked perfectly clean.  
  
Falling asleep easily, he decided he didn't care if it was in use by someone else. The bed was comfortable.  
  
(Back with the others.)  
  
"Yami?" Ryou called, looking around upstairs.  
  
Yugi suddenly poked his head out of his grandfather's bedroom, motioning for Ryou to be quiet and to follow him.  
  
Yami was downstairs, growling in annoyance.  
  
The tomb robber was loose in his house! He should have hidden all valuables when they first arrived.  
  
He suddenly heard voices from upstairs, by Yugi's grandfather's room.  
  
Curious, he went upstairs.  
  
Yugi looked at him, grinned, and motioned inside the room.  
  
"Bakura's in there." Yugi whispered, and Yami could see the dim form of the tomb robber on the bed.  
  
Ryou closed the door, sighing slightly.  
  
"While he's asleep, he won't cause any trouble. So. Do you guys want to watch a movie?"  
  
(At Isis's House)  
  
Malik and Marik were creating havoc at Isis's house. Rishid (or Odion, whatever you want to call him.) was there as well, watching his young master run after Marik.  
  
"Marik! Give me back the Rod!" Malik yelled, lunging for his yami, who dodged and laughed, waving the Millennium Rod tauntingly as he ran.  
  
Malik snarled, and ran faster, leaping over the couch and up the stairs.  
  
Isis sighed, rubbing her temples as a crash sounded upstairs, followed by a twin "uh oh" from the vicinity of the noise.  
  
When was the pharaoh going to arrive and help out? Of course, he was bringing the Tomb robber, but at least that would be three of them to watch the three de-aged boys.  
  
They had agreed to meet here, as Isis's house was bigger. Joey and Tristan would be joining again, to try and help in anyway they could to reverse this.  
  
A knock on the door signaled the coming of the others, and Rishid went to go answer it.  
  
"Hello!" Yugi chirped cheerfully. Behind him stood Ryou, Yami Bakura, Yami, Joey, Tristan, and Duke (who had opted to come along.)  
  
Rishid let them in, and they proceeded to the den where Isis was examining the broken shards of an expensive vase, Marik and Malik, (with his newly claimed Rod,) stood behind her sheepishly.  
  
"Kura!" Malik shouted, running forwards and tackling Yami Bakura. Everyone else nearby moved aside as Yami Bakura growled and tried to get Malik off him.  
  
Isis walked up, looking down as the tomb robber succeeded in flipping Malik off, and he stood up and walked over to Marik, glaring at the laughing Malik.  
  
"Malik and Marik seemed to be acting more and more like their new age now." She commented, as Malik went over to his yami and Yami Bakura.  
  
"So, it seems, is Bakura." Ryou said, watching as his yami grinned and knocked Malik over, then grabbed the Rod and threw it to Marik, who took off upstairs.  
  
Malik growled in frustration and once again took off after his stolen Item. Yami Bakura laughed while running to catch up.  
  
The normal boys were wide eyed.  
  
"So when Bakura is a twelve year old he succeeds in stealing a Millennium Item when he couldn't at fifteen?" Ryou wondered.  
  
"Looks like it." Joey commented, listening to the chaos upstairs.  
  
"I hope he doesn't plan on keeping it." Ryou muttered. Two Millennium Items were enough; Yami Bakura didn't need anymore.  
  
The Eye and the Ring were quite enough already.  
  
Sudden thumping down the stairs signaled the coming of the de-aged kids again.  
  
Marik vaulted over the banister, still with the Rod in his hand, and Malik followed. Yami Bakura watched with amusement from the top of the stairs, elbows folded on the banister and watching the chaos he had caused by giving the Rod to Marik.  
  
"Bakura!" Ryou called, motioning for him to join the others down there.  
  
Yami Bakura sighed, completely acting like the age of twelve. He knew it too. He could tell he was acting differently, and he didn't like it.  
  
Marik and Malik seemed to be enjoying themselves, and didn't seem to care that they were twelve.  
  
But then again, neither had a proper childhood either. Malik was always locked up, and Marik was born from Malik's hate and pain.  
  
Yami Bakura would rather not relive his childhood.  
  
With another sigh, he stood and went down the stairs to join Ryou.  
  
Two days.........two more days and he would de-age again.  
  
From fifteen he went to twelve.  
  
From twelve he'll go to nine.  
  
Nine to six.  
  
Six to three.  
  
Three to.........what? What would happen when they got to the end of the spell? Would they disappear altogether, or would they start to go back to normal?  
  
He felt a pressure on his arm, and looked up at Ryou. The other boy was watching him with concern. He had 'heard' some of Yami Bakura's thoughts.  
  
Ryou didn't want Yami Bakura to disappear at the end of the spell, if that is what might happen.  
  
There was a very good chance that could happen.  
  
(End Chapter)  
  
Thanks to all reviewers!  
  
Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: No good at all, lol!  
  
Winter Blaze: My loyal friend! Thanks for your review and sorry I hadn't been able to read your stories yet!  
  
Catcher of Tears: Yep. And they'll keep getting younger until the older kids figure out how to reverse it.  
  
Redconvoy: older? Hmm.........that could be an idea.........but I've always loved them as chibi's, but older could have some possibilities. Thanks for your review!  
  
Kathleen: thanks for your review, and sorry, not yaoi. Never been fond of yaoi, but I will not say no to reading some stories with it, if they are well written, but I don't write it myself. Thanks again!  
  
FeatherWings: Thanks a lot!  
  
Selene-Yugi: Thanks for your review!  
  
Author's Note!  
  
I might be able to get chapter three, (and maybe four) up before I leave for Michigan next week! But then again, I might not. We'll see. 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.  
  
Review responses at the end of the chapter.  
  
Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?  
  
;......... Yami thinking  
  
/........./ Hikari thinking  
  
'.........' Normal thought  
  
"........." Normal speech  
  
(A/N:.........) Author's Note  
  
Chapter Three  
  
The next morning, Yami Bakura groaned as he felt Ryou stand and begin to get ready for school.  
  
"Hush, yami. Go back to sleep." Ryou admonished the Tomb Robber. After all, did he have to go to school?  
  
"That's not why I'm upset." Yami Bakura said, throwing an arm over his eyes from where he was laying on the big bed owned by Yugi's grandfather.  
  
"Then why?" Ryou asked absently, putting his books into his backpack.  
  
"Because I'm stuck with the pharaoh until we go over to Isis's." Yami Bakura whined, completely different from his normal self.  
  
"I'm sure you'll live. Now, if you're awake, go downstairs and eat breakfast. You have a physical body, as I constantly remind you, and you need to eat." Ryou walked out into the hall where Yugi was waiting, already ready, and they left for school.  
  
Yami Bakura muttered to himself as he rolled out of bed and dressed.  
  
Stalking downstairs, he was relieved to find out the bottom half of the house was empty. The pharaoh was still asleep.  
  
Wondering what he could have for breakfast, Yami Bakura searched the kitchen.  
  
"Lucky Charms?" Yami Bakura muttered under his breath, reading the title.  
  
(A/N: I do not own Lucky Charms!)  
  
Shrugging, figuring it was breakfast food; he poured himself a bowl full and tried to figure out what to do next. Ryou ate this stuff for breakfast. What did he do after pouring it into a bowl?  
  
Milk. That's right, he poured milk in then ate it with a spoon.  
  
Grabbing a carton of milk out of the fridge, he was careful not to make a mess.  
  
The Ra cursed pharaoh would get onto him for something like that.  
  
Silently eating the sugary cereal, Yami Bakura reflected on the past day's events. They had left Isis's house after discussing what to do today. Joey, Tristan, and Duke would help watch them when they weren't in school.  
  
Huh, watch them? Baby sit them was more like it. Yami Bakura growled and decided he wasn't hungry.  
  
Dumping the bowl's contents down the drain, (including cereal), he stalked into the living room to find something to do.  
  
The Kame Shop was closed due to Yugi's grandfather's absence, so he didn't have to worry about anyone barging in.  
  
"You up already?"  
  
'All right,' Yami Bakura amended, 'almost anyone.'  
  
"What does it look like?" Yami Bakura asked nicely (for him.)  
  
"Not a morning person, are you?" Yami asked casually, watching as the (now) twelve-year-old Tomb Robber withdrew his deck from his pocket and began flipping through it.  
  
Yami watched with interest. He hadn't dueled anyone but Yugi for many weeks, and they knew each other's cards and strategies as well as if it was their own. (Which it basically was.)  
  
"Want to duel?" Yami asked, and Yami Bakura glanced at him.  
  
"No." He turned back and continued to flip through his cards.  
  
"No?" Yami repeated, blinking.  
  
"No." Yami Bakura said again, glaring at Yami.  
  
"Can I ask why?" Yami asked, curious. Yami Bakura never turned down a challenge before.  
  
"I don't feel like it." The other answered, eyes back on his cards.  
  
"Oh." Yami shrugged; cast another curious glance at the Tomb Robber, before going into the kitchen to get himself some breakfast.  
  
The phone rang, and Yami answered it.  
  
Yami Bakura could hear his voice muttering in answer to whatever was asked, but he shrugged, not caring. Pocketing his cards, he rolled over on the couch until he was facing Yami as the other walked in.  
  
"Come on, we're going over to Isis's now. The museum is open, so we will be with Rishid instead." Yami said coldly, gesturing for Yami Bakura to follow.  
  
Glaring at the ex-pharaoh, Yami Bakura stood and sullenly followed.  
  
(At Isis's house.)  
  
Isis stood there, a look of resigned acceptance on her face. Rishid stood beside her, telling off a guilty looking Malik. Marik stood a bit away, smiling.  
  
"What did they do now?" Yami Bakura asked with a grin.  
  
"None of your business, 'Kura." Malik snapped, glaring at the other.  
  
Yami Bakura grinned wider.  
  
Yami went to talk to Isis, leaving the Tomb Robber to his own devices. His grin now positively sadistic, Yami Bakura slipped off. Marik saw him go, grinned as well, and followed.  
  
Malik glanced at them, but Rishid was still telling him off so he couldn't follow.  
  
Marik followed closely behind the Tomb Robber, up the stairs and into Malik's bedroom.  
  
Digging through his dresser, then his closet, the Tomb Robber growled in frustration.  
  
"Where's the Rod?" He asked Marik, gesturing around the room.  
  
Marik grinned. "I already took it and hid it, after smashing one of Isis's vases. Rishid thought Malik did it, which is why he's getting in trouble." The two grinned and snickered. Sure, Malik was a friend to both, (and the hikari of Marik), but that didn't stop them from having a bit of 'fun'.  
  
"Marik! Bakura! Where are you?" Isis called, and there was a distinct mutter that they recognized as Yami, but couldn't hear the words.  
  
The two went down the stairs and slowly and quietly approached the group.  
  
"No, I'm sure they're not stealing something." Isis assured Yami, in answer to whatever he had remarked upon. "Living with Malik and Marik has given me the wisdom to hide my things as well as put them under lock and key."  
  
Marik snorted at that, revealing their presence. Malik gave Marik a dirty look, before stalking to the couch in the living room and plopping down, pouting.  
  
Snickering to himself, Marik went to go harass his light some more. Yami Bakura followed out of amusement opportunities.  
  
"Are you sure you two will be alright with them?" Isis asked Yami and Rishid, as Marik and Malik began fighting.  
  
"I'm sure we can handle it." Yami said, but resentment colored every word.  
  
"I would help, but I don't think it would be a good idea for those three to be there as they are right now." Isis frowned. "I don't like them there when they're normal."  
  
Yami smiled. "We'll watch them, don't worry. We'll be fine." Yami grinned at Isis. "We could always tie them up and leave them in a closet until school is out."  
  
Isis smiled back slightly, before waving good-bye to her brother(s) and leaving.  
  
Leaving Yami and Rishid with the three de-aged kids.  
  
Who were promptly in the middle of a fight.  
  
"O' Ra, why me?" Yami muttered to himself.  
  
(A/N: Get used to that, lots of people are going to say it.)  
  
Marik giggled, a sight that lifted Yami's eyebrows, and tackled Malik to the ground as the other tried to force the Millennium Rod's location out of Yami Bakura.  
  
"What? Hey!" Malik and his yami began trying to pin each other to the floor.  
  
"Alright, that's enough." Yami said, and, like before, the two separated and stood apart from each other.  
  
Yami Bakura laughed at their expressions, pulling the Millennium Rod out from wherever it was hidden. Marik's eyes widened, he had not realized Yami Bakura knew where he had hidden the Rod.  
  
"I knew you had it!" Malik cried, pointing an accusing finger at Yami Bakura.  
  
At the same time, Marik sputtered out his response.  
  
"Where did you.........how did you figure out where I hid it?" He said indignantly. Then his eyes widened again when he realized what he had said.  
  
Malik snapped his gaze over at his yami, who blinked and whistled innocently. Growling, the only mortal of the three threw himself at Marik, who dodged.  
  
Both forgot about Yami Bakura with the Millennium Rod.  
  
Snickering to himself, the twelve-year old slipped off.  
  
Or he began too.  
  
"Where do you think you are going, Master Bakura?" Rishid asked, the tall man holding the back of Yami Bakura's shirt at the collar.  
  
"Ah, lemme go!" He snarled, sounding like his new age more than ever. He glared at Rishid, but the older man smiled slightly in a bemused sort of way, taking the Rod out of the thief's hands.  
  
"You're no fun." Yami Bakura muttered, before two people tackled him to the floor.  
  
Marik and Malik grinned above him, and the Tomb Robber didn't like the look in their eyes.  
  
Rishid held onto the Rod, for safe keeping against further attempts at stealing it, and talked calmly with Yami while the three twelve-year olds went all out.  
  
Yami Bakura was slumped on the stairs, having succeeded so far in protecting 'his territory', which was the entire upstairs.  
  
Marik had claimed the basement as his own, and Malik was left with the rest of the house.  
  
Marik could strike at the stairs, but that left his base open to Malik's attack. Malik could hit any and everyone, and Yami Bakura was left with the same options as Marik.  
  
Marik opted to ally himself (partly) with Malik, but not all the way, for he did not trust his light.  
  
Yami Bakura stayed with the defensive, fending off anyone trying to go upstairs.  
  
Rishid and Yami felt it was safer to remove all fragile objects to the living room, where they avoided the conflict and talked with each other, getting to know the other quite well.  
  
Yami Bakura heard a muted sound, and half glanced out of his eye to see Malik trying to surprise him by staying near the heavy shadows by the wall. Deciding to let the 'amateur' try his best, Yami Bakura pretended he didn't see anything.  
  
Malik suddenly rushed forwards. In order to 'conquer' someone else's 'territory', you had to over take them.  
  
Meaning, if Malik gained the top of the stairs, he would now 'own' the upstairs rooms. Yami Bakura would be below him, and would have to fight to the top again.  
  
Same with the basement, meaning there was always one person loose and drifting. Right now, it was Malik.  
  
As Yami Bakura blocked Malik's attempts to get up the stairs, he saw Marik out of the corner of his eye leap the banister and vanish upstairs.  
  
The Tomb Robber had lost his territory.  
  
Malik went upstairs as well. They had obviously agreed on a full partnership.  
  
Growling under his breath, Yami Bakura slipped down the stairs and went to plan his strategy on getting 'his' territory back. Revenge would be sweet.  
  
Yami smiled at Rishid. Despite what he had thought of the man, what with pretending to be Malik and all, Rishid was actually a nice, humorous guy.  
  
Then Bakura came walking through the living room, sneaking through the room.  
  
"What are you doing?" Yami asked, a bit harshly.  
  
Yami Bakura glared. He hid the object he had taken behind his back.  
  
"What do you have?" Yami asked suspiciously.  
  
"Nothing." The younger spirit answered, moving steadily towards the stairs.  
  
"What do you have?" Yami repeated, starting to stand.  
  
Yami Bakura sighed, and displayed what he held.  
  
"Only a book." He answered. 'And some other things, but the baka pharaoh doesn't need to know that.' He thought to himself.  
  
"Why do you have a book?" Yami asked, still mistrusting the Tomb Robber.  
  
"To read." Yami Bakura said, as if speaking to an idiot. Yami sighed. This was only the second day. After tomorrow, the three would become nine.  
  
If Yami Bakura was this much of a brat when he is twelve, how bad is he going to be at nine?  
  
Yami Bakura, deciding he had answered enough questions and was free to go, slipped out of the room.  
  
Once clear, he opened the book and searched for the thing he wanted. Smiling, he decided to retake his territory upstairs. But first he had to lure the two up there down here.  
  
With a snicker and a barely contained cackle that would have given him away to those in the living room, he disappeared down in the basement.  
  
(Upstairs, at the 'base'.)  
  
Malik and Marik were preparing for any kind of retaliating attack from Yami Bakura. They were set, hidden against the walls on either side of where the stairs led onto the second floor. If anyone tried to get onto the second floor, he would be ambushed from either side.  
  
"You do realize we are acting like twelve-year olds now?" Marik mumbled conversationally.  
  
"Of course, but it's fun. Besides, I think it is understandable for US to behave this way, but you'd think 'Kura would have a bit more dignity." Malik replied, smiling. It was rather humorous to find the ruthless Tomb Robber, who had murdered countless people and stolen unimaginable treasures, to be playing such a childish game.  
  
"What is he doing?" Marik wondered aloud, peeking around the wall to look down the stairs.  
  
"I don't know. But, knowing him, it would probably be bad when he finishes planning." Malik answered, glancing down the stairs as well.  
  
He suddenly smiled. "I have an idea. We need to go on the offensive. And I know how." He grinned, before vanishing downstairs.  
  
(Back to the ones in the living room.)  
  
"What do you think they are doing?" Yami wondered aloud. The house has been very quiet, which could be a bad sign.  
  
"Ever hear of the 'calm before the storm', My Pharaoh?" Rishid asked, using Yami's old title respectfully. Isis did it as well, which is probably why Rishid knew about Yami's past.  
  
"That doesn't sound good." Yami muttered.  
  
At that moment, Malik slipped into the room and made his way to his dearest friend, Rishid.  
  
Malik grinned. Rishid served him. He would do what Malik asked.  
  
(In the basement.)  
  
Yami Bakura grinned. He was ready. Knowing Malik and Marik, they wouldn't wait for long, and they couldn't possibly know about Yami Bakura's plan.  
  
Smiling, he drew information from his ancient memory. There were some things that he learned in Ancient Egypt that could be useful right now.  
  
He got a good ways through, but stopped. He was stuck. He needed some help.........who could he ask?  
  
Ryou. Ryou would know.

;Ryou?  
  
(At the school.)  
  
Ryou was in the middle of science class when his yami spoke to him.  
  
Ryou? the word was filled with hope and a certain sardonic edge.  
  
His head snapped up and his eyes widened.  
  
"Ryou? Are you okay?" The teacher asked. Ryou realized the entire class was looking at him.  
  
"I'm feeling a bit sick. Can I go to the restroom?" Ryou lied, and he must have looked a bit pale (more so than usual), for the teacher sent Yugi with him to make sure he got there okay.  
  
As they walked towards the restrooms, Yugi questioned Ryou.  
  
"What is the matter?" He asked worriedly.  
  
"Bakura." Ryou said. They reached the bathrooms, and Ryou stood before the mirror. "Give me a moment, I'm going to see what he wants."  
  
/Yami?/ Ryou sent out. Normally he and Yami Bakura didn't normally talk this way.  
  
Ryou! Yami Bakura sounded.........odd. Cheerful and yet sinister, which made an interesting combination.  
  
/Do you need anything?/ Ryou asked hesitantly.  
  
Yes. Oh, yes I do. Yami Bakura said, and his laugh echoed over their bond.  
  
Malik and Marik crept down the hallway to the basement. They had left Rishid and Yami on the stairs with orders to not let Yami Bakura by. The two had agreed with amusement.  
  
"I wonder what this is all about?" Yami asked aloud, leaning back against the wall. (They were sitting at the top of the stairs.)  
  
"I know. Master Malik and Isis and I played it when were younger." Rishid said.  
  
Yami glanced at him. "Aren't you and Isis older than Malik?" He asked.  
  
Rishid nodded. "As often as Master Malik got to play, we indulged him in this little game. He didn't often get to go outside, so we played indoors. It is good for him to have a real childhood. Even if it was brought about by unnatural events."  
  
"Ah. So what is the basis of this game?" Yami asked, as he spotted Malik creeping below them.  
  
"Basically, to claim and hold onto separate 'territories'. In this case, it would be the upstairs and the basement. I take it, from how they're acting, that the first floor is free range." Rishid said. "This game can get complicated. I wonder what Master Bakura is doing, while these two take over the house?"  
  
"The Tomb Robber is probably up to something." Yami said.  
  
/Yami?/ Yugi's thoughts came through their bond.  
  
;Yes, hikari? Yami thought back. How odd of Yugi to talk to him during school.  
  
/What is Bakura doing?/ Yugi thought, going straight to the point.  
  
What? Why? Yami was curious now. Of all random things to ask.  
  
/He's talking to Ryou, but he is sounding odd./ Yugi explained.  
  
Oh. He's only playing a game with Marik and Malik. Yami thought back, relieved. He had thought it was something serious.  
  
/Oh, okay. I'll tell Ryou. Thanks Yami./ Yugi closed his connection  
  
"What was that about?" Rishid asked, having asked Yami if he was alright a number of times before noticing that he had that same far away look Malik and Marik got when they were talking through their bond.  
  
"Yugi was wondering what Bakura was doing. I guess the Tomb Robber had said something to Ryou that startled him. I wonder what he had asked?" Yami said, but at that moment twin loud shouts interrupted him, and Marik and Malik came tearing out of the basement up the stairs.  
  
"What is it?" Rishid asked as Malik climbed around him.  
  
"Rishid! 'Kura is not playing fair!" Malik whined, hiding behind Rishid. Marik was right behind him, muttering about 'dirty play'.  
  
"Why?" Yami asked with interest.  
  
"He summoned the Man Eater Bug in the basement!"  
  
(End Chapter.)  
  
Thanks to all reviewers!  
  
Kathleen: Chocolate chip! My favorite! Eyes the Yu Gi Oh crew, before sighing and handing them out. (Secretly makes sure Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik get more than everyone else.) lol, thanks for your review.  
  
Raphael Loser: lol, thanks for your review.  
  
Namiko-Daughter of Sekhmet: I pity Isis too. Thanks for your review!  
  
Winter Blaze: Thanks for your review!


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

_/........./_ Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Just so you know, I have been in Michigan and have forgotten a bit about the story, so I might jump ahead or mention something that is wrong, and I'm sorry.

There is some brother/sister affection, and hikari/yami affection and sympathizing, but that's it. To the disappointment of some, I don't do yaoi.

Chapter Four

Yami Bakura laughed as the two other twelve year olds fled the basement in a hurry, with the Man-Eater Bug crawling after them.

/Bakura! What are you doing?/ Ryou's voice echoed across their mind link.

_/Nothing, hikari_./ Yami Bakura thought back, completely innocent. (yeah right.)

/Bakura./ Ryou said, and the Evil Spirit of the Ring sighed.

_/I summoned a Man-Eater Bug./_ Yami Bakura said, defiant still.

/What?/ Ryou exclaimed, both across the link and aloud in the school's restroom, which caused Yugi to began asking questions.

/I'll deal with you in a moment, Bakura./ Ryou said, sounding stern and making sure Bakura knew he was in trouble.

Then he cut off the mind link.

In the school bathrooms, Ryou rubbed his temples. Yugi was there with him, getting nervous. They needed to be going back to class soon.

"What happened?" Yugi asked, fidgeting with the edge of his school uniform.

"Bakura summoned a monster in Isis's basement, and evidently doesn't feel like getting rid of it." Ryou said, heading for the bathroom door.

"What are going to do? You know Yami will go down there and sparks are sure to fly." Yugi said, walking quickly to keep up with Ryou's longer strides. Ryou sighed.

"Tell Yami to do what he needs too."

-------------

Yami headed towards the basement after his little chat with Yugi. He had to go delicately about this, for though Yami Bakura was twelve now he was just as dangerous as before. Maybe even more so, for he was younger and less likely to give thought to his actions.

"Tomb Robber?" He called, standing at the top of the steps leading to the basement.

"What?" The voice floated back to him from the darkness of the room.

"Ryou has told Yugi what you did, and Yugi told me. Dismiss your monster now!" Yami commanded, thinking that the tomb robber would be difficult.

He was right.

"No."

"Ryou will be very disappointed with you." Yami said, trying to play on Yami Bakura's bond with his hikari.

"So?" Yami Bakura's voice dripped with scorn.

"He says I can do what I want to control you." Yami said, his words stained with smugness and superiority. That gave the Tomb Robber a pause.

"You can't do anything."

Yami scowled into the darkness, before reaching over and flipping the light switches.

Instantly the basement was as bright as outside, and Yami Bakura was there, shielding his eyes from the sudden glare. The Man-Eating Bug was just sitting there, not three feet away from Yami, waiting to be commanded.

The ancient pharaoh jumped back, startled at the proximity of the monster. Yami Bakura must have sent it sneaking up on him.

"If you do not dismiss you monster, then I shall lock you down here until Isis gets back, and let her deal with you. She has told us she is bringing Shadi to figure out how to reverse this, and if you do not want to be dealt with by him, you will obey me." Yami said.

Yami Bakura paused again. Isis he could deal with, her item was not as powerful as his. But Shadi.........the Tomb Robber did not like Shadi. He had the Scales, which could weigh one's heart for sins, and the Ankh, which could refigure his mind.

"Fine." Yami Bakura said, waving a hand and dismissing the Bug.

"Now come on, enough play. We have to do something, I'm bored out of my mind." Yami said, turning and walking away.

Yami Bakura scowled at his back, eyes flashing red in anger, but he followed.

----------------

The rest of the time waiting for school to be over was spent watching TV or trying to stop the three de-aged kids from killing each other or destroying the house.

When school let out, everyone decided to go ahead and go to Isis's.

The knock on the door was a blessing for Yami Bakura, who had been admonished and yelled at by Yami countless times in the last few hours they had waited before school let out.

Ryou walked in, followed by Yugi, Joey, and Tristan.

"Any troubles?" Ryou asked brightly, taking in the sullen group of people.

"None what so ever, hikari." Yami Bakura snapped.

Isis walked in a little later, and nodded to those in the room.

"So how many days do we have before they de-age again?" Joey asked, plopping down onto the couch next to Yami.

"Let's see, they changed Friday, and today is Monday, that means..........." Ryou looked up, wide-eyed.

"Today is the third day." Ryou whispered.

For a while, they just sat and thought. The three de-aged kids were thinking on how they were going to de-age even more now.

Nine years old.

It has been a long time since Yami Bakura was nine years old. He was over three thousand years old, nine years is a long way back.

Marik had never been a kid, so this was completely new to him. He was experiencing new emotions here, new sensations.

Malik never got a proper childhood, but at least he could remember when he was nine. But it still didn't make it easier. His whole childhood had been evolved around being prepared for a tomb keeper. He never got to play often, never had much fun, and now he was, despite the severity of their position.

"When did they turn?" Isis asked, breaking the silence.

"It was late in the day." Ryou said.

"So it stands to reason that they will de-age at that same time." Isis said.

Soon then. Soon they will change.

"Oh boy." Ryou whispered.

----------------

Yami Bakura sat on the couch in Isis's house. Marik and Malik sat nearby, both silent as well. The others were a bit livelier, talking together.

Malik lifted his head as he felt a light-headedness that matched the feeling he got when he was first de-aged. The other two perked up as well, locking eyes with each other.

Yami Bakura scowled, slipping off the couch and backing off so that the others didn't notice, with Marik and Malik right behind him.

"I'm not one for having them gawk at me in a time of weakness." The Tomb Robber growled, going into one of the spare bedrooms and shutting the door behind them.

"Looks like it is starting." Marik mumbled, eyeing the glow that was appearing around them.

--------------

Ryou smiled as Joey acted like his usual dumb self. He was not dumb, he could be quite smart if he tried, but he didn't try.

He looked over to see how Bakura was doing, before starting and looking for them.

"They're gone!" Ryou said, as the others began looking at him oddly.

"Drat. Now we have to go and find them again?" Yami muttered, earning a poke in the ribs from Yugi.

Sighing, they went to look for them.

Ryou searched around, checking the basement at one point and all the closets, though he didn't think Yami Bakura would go as far as to hide in a closet.

"What's the matter, Ryou?"

The white haired hikari snapped around to be confronted by a very young Yami Bakura, with Marik and Malik stationed behind him as always.

"Oh boy." Ryou muttered again.

Everyone met in the living room, discussing what to do. Yami protested on watching the kids again, but he was met with excuses on why.

"We have school. We can't leave them at the museum with Isis, Shadi would not take kindly to them, nor them to him, so you are the only choice short of having them stay alone, which is not going to happen." Ryou said, trying to reason.

"They could stay with my grandpa for a while. He's coming back tomorrow." Yugi mused, and they agreed that was a good idea. Yami sighed with relief until Yugi said he was going to be there as well.

With another sigh, Yami settled down and glared at the three nine year olds, who looked as miserable as he felt.

How was he going to survive this?

--------------------

They went to their various homes, Ryou and Yami Bakura following Yami and Yugi to his house, and settled down for the night.

Yami Bakura couldn't sleep. How was he supposed to be able to? Another three days and he would be six, then three more would make him three, and then.............then whatever would happen.

Isis had mentioned talking with Shadi to figure this out, but that wasn't reassuring since Shadi had the Millennium Scales which judged a person of their sins, and he had done his share of them, as had Marik and Malik.

Sighing, he paced the house aimlessly, pausing whenever he got to a mirror to examine his new form. Finally, tired of this, he vanished to his soul room and curled up into a miserable little ball within Ryou's mind.

------------------

Malik was having problems, but not the same kind.

Marik was taking his new youth with amusement and energy, bouncing around the house as would befit his new age, excited to the point that Isis threatened to leave him outside as he tried the end of even her vast patience.

Malik sighed and brooded on the couch. He had been there since everyone else had left, and he didn't expect to be moving anytime soon either. He curled up closer to the couch pillow he had wrapped his arms around, falling into deep thought. He didn't mind the change as much as Yami Bakura.

He could tell that the other was getting depressed and angry about his condition, for the other's eyes had been flaring red ( a sure sign of anger) and he had been moody more than usual.

"Are you alright?"

Malik glanced up to see Isis standing above him, real concern on her face.

"I'm fine." Malik whispered, and turned his head towards the blank wall ahead of him once again.

He jumped slightly when warm arms embraced him, and one hand reached up to stroke his hair. He stiffened for a moment as Isis tried to comfort him, then relaxed after a moment.

They never had been very close, what with what their past was like, but it-felt good right now.

Without knowing the cause, Malik's eyes filled with tears. To be loved felt so good, and to know that you were not alone when for a while you thought you were felt just as good.

Malik's eyes flicked to his yami, who was pestering Rishid. He was not alone. Even if his 'yami' was born of his dark emotions, the two had made up and were as close as brothers.

Isis pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and he did begin to cry.

He turned and clung to Isis, sobbing quietly into her robe. She rubbed his back and embraced him again.

The tears exhausted him, and he fell asleep, there within the protective circle of his sister's arms.

------------------

Yami Bakura woke again in the middle of the night, and left his soul room, to wander Yugi's house once more.

He was bogged down with black emotions of despair and such fury that it left him shaking. He was never one for misery or self pity, he erupted into anger instead. Such as it was now. He stalked the house, snarling silently and shaking with barely contained anger and despair.

He needed something to take his mind off his condition. He needed something to distract him.

But there was nothing.

He muttered a curse that would've had Ryou admonishing him in seconds had the boy heard, and went to one of the large windows. It was starting to rain, lightning raking the dark clouds, bright streaks that caused dark spots to dance before his eyes.

Thunder rumbled constantly, so close that it was like one big long growl. The rain increased, pounding and drumming on the windows and the roof.

A storm to match his mood.

Growling, he turned and slammed his hand into the window frame.

He then yelped in pain. He had succeeded in forgetting his new form. His delicate, weak, vulnerable new form.

He rubbed his hand ruefully, before shoving away from the wall and entering the kitchen. He scanned the items there. The thrice-cursed microwave, which had started this in the first place (though only at Ryou's house and not here.) and all the other things.

There.

The knife rack.

He reached up to grab one, but realized he couldn't reach. Growling, he used his experience and all the agility he still had and leaped onto the counter, pulling himself up.

He grabbed a knife, watching its silvery shine in the flash of lightning outside.

He sighed, and twirled it around his fingers. It was as if nothing would harm him when he held a knife. Knives were his center, they were steel, so could not break easily. They could attack someone, defend their wielder.

They could take away life.

How he had been obsessed with them in his past. He had stolen many of them as well as other treasures. He had taken ones that were encrusted with priceless jewels that had gold tracings on the blade, or were made of black obsidian. There were steel ones, gold ones, silver ones, even one fashioned from hard stone.

They were straight, curved, twisted, wavy, matched in a pair, or small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. There were so many, and he liked them all.

He had one favorite one, long ago. One taken from the Pharaoh's treasury itself. It was carved of black obsidian, with a cobra head making up the handle. The cobra was picked out in gold tracing, with rubies making it's eyes. Its blade was silver, with dark tracings down its length. He had been very fond of that one, and had been angry to have it taken from him when he was finally caught.

He had no clue where it was now. It might not even be in this world anymore.

He continued to stare at the knife through the night, sleep fogging his mind but being ignored, pain from his hand lancing through him but being fought, black despair and the burning of raging red fury clouding the corners of his mind but being shoved aside.

What was there for him to do with his new form? He couldn't go on raids, for his young body was not as quick or strong, and while he retained all the skills and experience he had while older, he couldn't use it as well with his younger body.

Leaning his head back against the wall, he dangled his legs off the counter. He glanced at a clock, seeing the glowing numbers with a tinge of frustration. Two thirty and he was bored with no escape.

Looking out at the pouring rain, he made a decision.

Once again, forgetting the limitations and side affects and vulnerability of having a mortal body, he climbed through a window and crawled up onto the roof, battered by wind and rain, with thunder rumbling around his ears and lightning blinding him in sudden flashes.

His hair was plastered flat, dripping onto his sodden clothing and down his face. He stared up at the dark clouds above, idly ignoring the pain of his hand, the anger and despair, the sleep his body desperately needed, and the rain that pelted him.

He sat, and stared up into the heavens.

---------------

Come morning, he had scarcely moved.

He heard clattering as Ryou obviously woke up and began making breakfast.

Today would be Tuesday, they had to go to school. Yugi's grandfather would be arriving back today as well, making two people that he didn't want to be around taking control of his day.

Marik and Malik would probably stay at Isis, leaving the Tomb Robber bored until school let out.

Ryou didn't notice Yami Bakura's absence until he counted how many people were eating breakfast. Bakura had been getting up when he did, so this was an odd change, for Yami Bakura had not been in the bed or on the couch, which were his usual places.

"Have either of you seen Bakura?" Ryou asked Yami and Yugi as he gave them the oatmeal he had made up. They had school, after all, so one couldn't be fancy.

"Actually, no. I thought I would have heard his complaining by now." Yami said, getting an elbow in the side from Yugi, and a frown from Ryou.

"I wonder where he is." Ryou said worriedly.

"Right here." Yami Bakura's voice sounded from the entrance to the living room. His voice was laced with exhaustion, and Ryou snapped around to look at him with such concern that he startled himself as well as Yami Bakura.

The Tomb Robber was soaked, hair straggling down his back, dark circles under his eyes, a large knife gripped in one hand that was black and blue, the other was as deathly pale as his face, which nearly matched his hair.

His eyes were red with anger, but filled with a great sadness and frustration as well.

"Bakura! What happened?" Ryou cried, moving towards the ex-thief, only to have him back away and flinch at his hikari's touch.

"Nothing. I just spent the night outside." Bakura said dully.

"Outside? But it was storming!" Ryou exclaimed.

"Yeah, so?" Yami Bakura said, finally giving his hikari an reaction, though not the one he had been hoping for as Bakura's eyes shot daggers at him.

"Bakura........" Ryou began, but his little yami snarled and waved a hand in dismissal.

"Leave me alone." He muttered, before retreating up the stairs.

Ryou was heartbroken. He and Yami Bakura had been getting along so well, and now this? Why must things always happen when something was going good?

Yami and Yugi looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Upstairs, Yami Bakura paced the room, fighting the urge to scream or rage or just send everything to the Shadow Realm.

Unlike Malik and Marik, who were getting along better with Isis and each other now that they were younger and easier to comfort, Yami Bakura was going the opposite direction and snapping at any who tried to help him with his thoughts and emotions. Why was Ryou stuck with the difficult yami?

"O' Ra, why me?" Ryou whispered, bowing his head.

------------------

Thanks to all reviewers!

First off, thanks to all who wished me well on my trip to Michigan, I had a blast!

Yami No Marik: Thanks a lot, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Sanosuke-and-megumi-fan: Thanks a lot and glad I was able to make this story "cute", since that was what I was aiming for!

PerfectCell17: Well, I hope this chapter had enough of all three of them together to make it a funny story!

Chaotic Demon: Thanks for your review!

Lilmatchgirl007: Never, I think. I don't think "fair" is in Yami Bakura's vocabulary, really. Lol, thanks for your review!

Lucky the Evil Talking Puppy: Cool. In what part of Michigan? I visited Hart, a bit away from Grand Rapids.

Kathleen: Glad I made the story intriguing! The Man-Eater Bug was just a thought, and I'm glad so many people liked it! Lol, here's another chapter for you!

Kage Koutetsu Yume: "o.o" is that a good sign? Lol, thanks for your review.


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Chapter Five

"We can't leave them with Isis again! That's just plain cruel! Plus, she has work too!" Ryou protested as he, Yugi, Yami, Joey, and Tristan tried to puzzle out what to do with the nine year old Malik, Marik, and Yami Bakura in the Kame Shop.

"Then what can we do with them?" Yugi asked, watch as the three in question sat quietly in the living room, intent on their own thoughts.

"I'll watch them." Joey volunteered. At their questioning looks, he explained. "I haven't missed a day of school yet, so I can call in sick without any questions being asked."

"Can you handle them all day, buddy?" Tristan asked, shooting a glance as Marik and Malik began arguing with each other in low whispers while Yami Bakura stared out the window without seeming to see anything.

"Yeah, sure. I help Serenity when she baby-sits. It shouldn't be too much more difficult than that." Joey said with a shrug.

"I'm not so sure........" Yugi began, but Joey waved it off.

"I'll be fine. You guys better go to school, or you'll be late. I'll call in once you leave." Joey said. The others sighed and allowed him to do what he wanted. Yami vanished into his soul room before anyone could get him to stay along with Joey.

"Alright, lets get over to my house." Joey said. Marik and Malik paused in their argument, eyeing Joey, but Yami Bakura stood up without complaint and followed.

Shrugging, the two Egyptians followed along. Yugi's grandfather, Solomon, waved them off without comment on the sight of the three youngsters.

Just walking to his house was difficult, as the three wanted to go everywhere else.

Finally, they reached Joey's house. Joey was glad his father was not home at the moment, and that Serenity was back with his mother.

Unlocking the door, he let the three go in first before he closed and locked the door again.

"Alright. We have the TV, we have anything else. Dad already broke everything breakable in here when he was drunk, so you don't have to be careful. Too careful, that is." Joey said, and went to go call the school to let them know he was 'sick' today.

Marik, Malik, and Yami Bakura began exploring the house.

They found one of the TV's, and began found the movies as well.

"Hmmmm........what do you think of this one?" Marik held up a cassette.

"'Hannibal'?" Yami Bakura said, staring at the front cover.

"No, I like this one." Malik reached out and pulled loose another movie.

"'ManHunter.'" Marik read, and smiled. The title sounded good. Yami Bakura shrugged.

They put the movie in and sat down to watch it.

Joey, meanwhile, was trying to discover where they went.

"Bakura? Malik? Where are you?" He called. Then he heard the TV in his room turn on. He peeked in and saw the three staring intensely at the movie that was on.

Shrugging, he went back to the living room, turned on his PlayStation 2, and began to play.

After a while, Yami Bakura got bored with the movie and went to see what the idiot was up too.

Joey decided he should check on the three, so paused the game and went to go make sure they weren't doing anything troublesome.

Yami Bakura walked past Joey, who glanced down at him then continued to see on Marik and Malik.

Bakura saw the game that Joey had left, and got curious. One of those weird contraptions called cars was in the process of spinning around a corner in a dark street. Two more cars with flashing lights were frozen as they chased it.

Frowning, Bakura picked up the controller. Ryou had used these before, so he searched their shared mind to access that information.

He pressed the "Start" button, and immediately the things on the screen began to move. The car that he obviously controlled spun around the corner with the other ones chasing it.

He didn't know how to steer, so he pressed random buttons. He realized that pressing the bottom button on the right side of the controller made his car move. He held it down and used the arrows on the other side to move his car across the street.

He rode up on the sidewalk, not being very good at steering, and ran over some of the people there. They splatted on the cement, and some released little objects that glowed.

He pressed other random buttons, trying to figure out how to get to the glowing things.

Then, to his surprise, the car stopped and a man got out. Now when he moved the arrows, he moved the person.

He smiled as made the man run towards the glowing things. He hit one, and a gun appeared in the man's arms.

Yami Bakura grinned quite evilly then.

- - - - - - - -

Marik and Malik were still watching the movie when Joey poked his head in.

"Hey, are you guys hungry?" Joey asked, and the two looked away for a moment. Marik shook his head and watched the movie again, while Malik nodded slightly.

"Come on, we'll get something to eat. I'm hungry too." Joey said. Malik shrugged and followed the blonde.

"Where's 'Kura?" Malik asked.

"'Kura'? That's cute. He went past me in the hall........" They turned into the living room and saw Bakura playing the PlayStation and apparently having a lot of fun. He was in a nice car in the game, and drove it up and around the sidewalks, ramming other cars and people while running from the police that chased him.

"Grand Theft Auto III?" Malik asked, more up to date on modern games than Yami Bakura was.

"Yep. Hey, Kura, you seem pretty good at that." Joey said, grinning as he used Malik's nickname.

"It's fun. And don't call me Kura." Yami Bakura answered, intense into the game.

"Okay. Are you hungry? I'm getting Malik something." Joey asked. Bakura shook his head as he abandoned the car he had on the screen.

"Alright then. We'll get a snack, so that we can eat lunch when the others are hungry, okay?" Joey said, turning to Malik, who shrugged.

"Okay. Chocolate, here we come." He said, reaching up into a cupboard and removing several packets of chocolate. Malik's eyes lit up at the sight. Isis didn't allow him a lot of chocolate.

He never understood why.

"Here ya go." Joey said, tossing the Egyptian a bar. Malik caught it and stared at it for a moment.

"Do me a favor and don't look at it like that, alright? You freak me out." Joey said, and went to the living room. He sat down on the couch and watched Bakura plays, at times helping him understand what was going on or what he needed to do.

Malik grinned and opened the chocolate with deliberate slowness. Awwwww........candy. Sugar. Sweet, sweet sugar.

He took a big bite and savored the taste. Delicious. Maybe Marik would like some. His yami wasn't allowed to eat a lot of chocolate, even less than Malik was allowed too.

He went back to Joey's room and poked his head in.

"Marik?" He called. Marik was not in there, and the TV was off.

He walked into the room.

"Marik? Where are you?" He shouted again.

"Malik?" Joey walked into the room, having heard the noise.

- - - - - - - - - -

Shadi contemplated the problem at hand.

He had to figure out how to reverse the process that was de-aging Marik, Malik, and Yami Bakura.

The Shadow Realm had triggered it, so the Shadow Realm must have the answer.

With a sigh, he went to go see about getting into the de-aged kids' heads.

- - - - - - - - -

Marik wandered the streets. He had gotten bored by the movie, and had decided to go for a walk. He probably should have told someone where he was going, or at least Malik. His light was probably worried.

Oh well.

Marik held the Millennium Rod in one hand as he walked. He had taken it before they went to Joey's and still had it when he left.

He shrugged off his small feelings of guilt and continued with his walk.

What should he do today?

- - - - - - - - -

"Malik, use your bond, you baka idiot." Yami Bakura snapped, still playing the game.

Malik had been worrying about Marik, and at Bakura's comment he stopped.

"Don't call me baka! Or an idiot." He yelled back. "But the bond is a good idea." He accessed the link, and to his relief was able to get contact with Marik.

Joey could see the blonde's eyes unfocus a bit, and could tell Malik was getting through.

He had been around Yugi and Yami and Ryou with Yami Bakura enough to know the difference.

"Aww...that's okay. He's just wandering around Domino. He got bored he. Oh, and he has the Rod." Malik said, happy again. He took a big bite of his second candy bar.

"WHAT??" Joey cried, paling. That psycho was loose in the streets with the mind controlling Millennium Rod??

He slapped a hand against his forehead.

"Oh Ra, why me?" He questioned, borrowing a phrase he had heard from Yami and Yami Bakura a time or too.

- - - - - - - - -

Shadi's eyes widened.

That was it! That was the answer!

In order to reverse the process, the three who were afflicted with the cursed magic must realize their real childhoods and the Shadow Magic, which blocked the memories, would break, allowing them to go back to normal. It was because of their poor childhood memories that they were being de-aged now.

He hurried off to find Isis, for she could get them together and they could figure out what do then.

- - - - - - - -

Seto Kaiba was in the middle of class when his cell phone rang. The class all turned to look at him, and he sent his best glare their way as he answered the call and walked out of the class room without bothering to ask the teacher.

"Kaiba. What is it?" He snapped into the phone.

The voice on the other end was afraid and nervous.

"What? You fool. I'll be there in a moment." He growled and hung up. He went back into the classroom and grabbed his stuff, closed his laptop, and left.

The teacher sighed and started her lesson again.

- - - - - - - - -

Mokuba had teacher conferences that day, so was out of school with one of Kaiba's security guards following him as he wandered about Domino.

His cell phone rang, and he normally only got calls from Seto, so he answered it without bothering to see who it was.

"'Ello?" He chirped.

"Mokuba? I'm at Kaiba Corp. There was a computer crash and we lost some stock. When you're done doing whatever you're doing, come over here." Kaiba said, and he sounded a bit mad.

"Sure thing, Seto." Mokuba said, and hung up. He looked up at his 'baby-sitter' and grinned cheerfully.

"We're going to Kaiba Corp." He said, and the guard nodded.

- - - - - - -

Marik wandered the streets, looking for something to do.

He turned to look at something and ran into someone.

"Hey, watch were you're going!" He snarled.

"Well, you ran into me." A cheerful voice said. Marik turned to see the annoying Kaiba brat standing before him.

"I know you!" Mokuba stated suddenly. "You're Malik's yami, aren't you?" He grinned.

Marik stared. The brat knew about the yamis? Well, that actually was understandable. He had been exposed to Yugi and his baka yami, as well as nearly having his body stolen by Yami Bakura. So why shouldn't he know about yamis? Though Marik didn't know that Mokuba knew Malik had a yami.

"Yep, I know you. Are you lost? Why are you little?" Mokuba asked. The two were right now about the same age and size.

"A mishap with the Shadow Magic. Myself, my light, and Ryou's yami were changed." Marik said. He kind of liked the kid.

"Malik and Ryou's yami are like this too? Wow!" Mokuba exclaimed, grinning. "Would you like to come with me to Kaiba Corp? We could hang out. You can get Malik and Bakura to come too! I normally don't get to spend time with people my age like you guys are right now!" Mokuba said. At this his guard shifted a bit.

"I'm not sure if Mr. Kaiba would appreciate that." He said.

"Nonsense. I'll talk to Seto." Mokuba sniffed, giving the guard a sample of the 'puppy eyes' that he would pull on his brother in order to bring Marik into Kaiba Corp. Nobody could resist those innocent eyes.

Marik thought it over. That would be fun, just to say he was in Kaiba Corp.

"Okay." He grinned.

- - - - - - - - -

Kaiba was beside himself with anger.

"NO! You are not bringing that PSYCHO into my building!" Kaiba said firmly to his little brother. Beside the young kid, the so said psycho was eyeing Kaiba.

Maybe he needed a little 'persuasion'. Marik fiddled slightly with the Rod in his hands.

"And don't you even THINK about it, Marik." Kaiba snarled, catching sight of the Rod.

"Aww, Seto! Please?" Mokuba resorted to the cuteness factor, and tears rimmed his eyes as he stared up at Kaiba. "I don't get to play with other kids my age very much, and Marik has been turned into a kid my age. Please? He won't do anything!" Mokuba sobbed, a tear leaking out and slowly working its way down his cheek.

"I........uh, that is........oh fine." Kaiba sighed, giving in. Mokuba looked up, no sign of a tear, and hugged his brother. "But he better not break anything and I had better call whoever was watching him."

"Joey." Marik said, replaying the whole scene in his mind with amazement. Imagine what a little tear and whining could do!

"Wheeler? The mutt was watching you?" Kaiba repeated in shock. When Marik nodded he sighed. "Then it figures that you would want to get out of that house." Kaiba muttered.

Marik shrugged, more intent on watching the people around him and anything interesting than paying attention to Kaiba.

"Go and play, Mokuba. And don't let him break or steal anything." Kaiba said, and Mokuba nodded and skipped off dragging Marik behind him.

"I don't steal, that's the Tomb Robber's job." Marik reminded Kaiba as he was dragged away.

Kaiba blanched.

"If he comes over, I'm bolting everything down that is able to be taken." Kaiba muttered to himself.

- - - - - - - - - -

Joey was frantic even though Malik and Yami Bakura weren't. Where was Marik? He could be doing anything!

The phone rang, and Yami Bakura, being nearest, didn't hesitate before grabbing the phone and answering.

"What do you want?" He spat. There was a brief silence and then Bakura held the phone out to Joey.

"It's for you." He said, and went back to his game. Malik came and took the control, wanting to give it a try.

"Hello?" Joey asked, and froze when he heard Kaiba's voice.

"Skipping school today, Mutt?" the cold CEO asked.

"NO! I'm home sick today, Kaiba!" Joey shot back.

"Funny, you don't sound very sick." Kaiba said with amusement.

"Whatever. Why are you not at school?" Joey growled, tired of the verbal battle.

"The Corporation had a computer crash and I'm stuck fixing it." Kaiba answered, almost conversationally.

"Then why are you talking to me?" Joey snapped at him.

"Because my little brother picked up something you lost."

Joey stared at the phone.

"Marik!"

- - - - - - - - - - -

Kaiba typed furiously, trying to repair the computers. He had a fun break where he had called Wheeler, but now he needed to work.

Mokuba was somewhere with Marik in the building, with security guards shadowing them. Kaiba was not about to trust Marik alone with Mokuba in his building.

Mokuba was in a room at Kaiba Corp that he had to himself whenever he was here with his brother. There were games, movies, snacks, anything he wished.

Marik was wandering around the room as Mokuba went at one of the games. He wanted to be able to say he had been at Kaiba Corp, but there was nothing interesting to do here.

Sighing, he went and lounged on a sofa that had been in set up near the TV, and flipped the TV on to see what was on.

Two more days and he would be six.

He didn't want to be six. That was too young, even for him.

"Marik?"

He looked up and saw Mokuba approaching with a bucket of something.

"Candy?" Mokuba held the bucket out.

"Sugar?" Marik asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yep!" Mokuba agreed cheerfully. Marik plunged his hand into the bucket, grabbing a handful of chocolate.

"Heheh.......my brother doesn't allow me a lot of sugar and caffeine, but I bribed the security guards." Mokuba giggled.

"Caffeine?" Marik said, sucking on a pixie stick.

"Yeah!" Seeing Marik's blank look, his eyes widened in shock. "Don't tell me you never had caffeine before!"

Marik shook his head. "Malik isn't allowed a lot of sugar and the times when he had caffeine we weren't sharing a body." He shrugged.

"Well, you're missing a lot of fun! I love bubbly drinks!" Mokuba crowed, running to the door and opening it, whispering something to the guards outside. They grinned and nodded, winking at the younger Kaiba.

It seemed that not all of the guards were completely following Kaiba's "no sugar and no caffeine" rule.

They came back with two bottles of coke, handing them to Mokuba with a grin. If they got caught, Mokuba would pull the 'puppy eyes' again, and they would get off with a warning.

It was amusing to all the security guards. Or at least most of them.

"Thank you!" Mokuba cheered, grabbing the sodas and running to give one to Marik, who had been munching on chocolate and sugary goodies.

He took an experimental drink of the bubbly drink, and suddenly grinned that maniac grin and began taking bigger drinks.

Mokuba made inroads on the candy bucket and swigs of his coke, giggling.

- - - - - - -

"What are we going to do? I don't want to go to Kaiba Corp just to get Marik back." Joey complained, and the two kids, who he had finally gotten off the PlayStation, stared at him.

"Wait until Yugi gets out of school and let HIM go get Marik." Malik said easily.

Yami Bakura shrugged and flipped a shiny quarter into the air, catching it as it fell back down. Joey didn't know where he found the money, as there was none in his house thanks to his dad, but he thought he'd rather not know.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Joey said. "I'll wait for Yami to get here, then I'll go get Marik with him! Kaiba picks on him more than me, and with more people he won't be able to do anything other than argue." With that, Joey sat down and began playing the game he had kicked the two kids off from.

Malik grinned at the distracted blonde and went to get more chocolate.

- - - - - - - -

Yami sighed. They had gotten off school, went to see how Joey was doing, and found a VERY hyper Malik and a depressed Yami Bakura with a frantic Joey.

And they found out that Marik was with Kaiba.

It had not been a good day. They were now on their way to retrieve Marik, with Ryou trying to find out what was wrong with Bakura while Joey and Tristan and Yugi tried to control one very sugar-high Egyptian.

They reached Kaiba Corp and were passed through to the secretary, who wordlessly pointed them towards the elevators.

"Seventeenth Floor." She said absently, flipping through a clothing magazine.

The hyper Malik found a new game.

Called pushing all the buttons in the elevator.

After finally reaching the floor they needed, they exited and went to find Kaiba.

Then they heard a voice. It was Kaiba's, but it held barely controlled rage.

They turned a corner, and had to stifle giggles.

A very angry Kaiba was lecturing a shamefaced Mokuba and Marik, both of whom were positively vibrating with energy.

Beside them was a shattered computer on a battered desk, with a very frightened secretary hiding behind Kaiba.

Candy wrappers littered the floor.

"Ra." Yami whispered.

"Why me?" Ryou sighed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks to all reviewers!

Pinkpanther: Thanks a lot!

X-mas Gurl: Sorry, never have been fond of yaoi. I'll read it sometimes, but I won't write it. Glad you enjoy the story anyways!

EvilDustBunny: Aww......that is the beauty of the spell, though. Their clothes shrink with them. Lol, actually, I just didn't think about that.

Winter blaze: Heyla again! Nice to see you! Can't wait to see you at school and thanks for your review!

Lilmatchgirl007: No, I don't think after Kuru Eruna (sp?) he would ever have any childhood innocence.


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, the Shadow Realm begins to become unpredictable.

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

_Italic Writing: Memory_

Chapter Six

Kaiba turned to look at them.

"Yugi, you have better get this psycho away from Mokuba this instant!" Kaiba hissed, pointing to the hyped up Marik.

Malik's eyes widened in joy.

"Marik!" He cried, and glomped his dark half. Mokuba giggled in his own sugar high and the three began running around. Even more startling, Marik started bouncing off the walls.

Literally.

"Would someone STOP him??" Kaiba growled, looking just inches short of strangling Marik.

Joey snagged Marik as he did another flip off the wall, and held him close, as Tristan held onto the hyper Malik.

"Thank you for watching him, Kaiba. We'll be going now." Yugi said, and they hastened to leave.

"Wait! You're missing one." Kaiba's voice brought them up sharp.

"Huh?" Joey asked intelligently.

Kaiba rolled his eyes and pointed to Ryou. "You're friend lost his little shadow. I do not want that Soul Stealing maniac in my building!"

"Bakura! He is gone!" Ryou confirmed, looking into any rooms nearby and about ready to panic.

"Relax, hikari. I only went to investigate something."

Yami Bakura came walking towards them from farther down the hall. The secretary, who had still been hiding behind Kaiba, gave a little shriek.

"Marik left his baka Rod. I went to go get it." The Tomb Robber said, holding up the Millennium Item in question. At the sight of it, the secretary fainted.

Marik's eyes widened.

"That's mine!"

"No, mine!" Malik protested, and both began shouting.

"GET THEM OUT OF HERE!" Kaiba snarled, and the group took off rather quickly, Ryou grabbing his mini yami.

They fled, and decided to go to the museum to see if Isis had found a plan to reverse the spell upon the three.

Part of that was because Marik and Malik had decided to cheer Yami Bakura up and were frightening those around them. Isis could handle them better. And they seemed to be only annoying Bakura.

"Come on, 'Kura! Cheer up!" Malik said, throwing his arms around the sullen Tomb Robber.

"What exactly is your problem, Bakura?" Marik mumbled, cocking his head slightly.

"Yeah, you have been acting kind of freaky." Joey agreed.

Bakura's eye twitched.

"Fine! Do you really want to know???" He suddenly snarled, causing those near him to jump away in shock. Eyes flaming with emotion, the stream of words that poured from him were hard to follow.

"My memories as a child are not the best! And it's because of YOU!" He spun and pointed at Yami. "You and your Ra-cursed family!"

Yami blinked. He didn't have any of his past memories. He had no clue what the mini Tomb Robber was talking about.

"And being this age again, memories I would have preferred to lose are now arising, and I can't STOP THEM!" To his chagrin, tears flowed from his eyes, burning tracks down his cheeks.

Ryou dropped to his knees, trying to comfort his yami, but Bakura broke out of his embrace and charged into the museum, which they had walked in front of without realizing it, too caught up in Bakura's tide of emotions.

"Bakura!" Ryou cried, hurt by the rejection. He ran up the steps after him, the others following.

They ran through the corridors, and stopped in the room that held the Stone Tablets of the Pharaoh.

Isis stood there, with Shadi.

Between them stood Yami Bakura.

Shadi was speaking with Isis, who was nodding, while Bakura stared at the ground, eyes covered by his hair, emotionless.

"Bakura?" Ryou whispered, and Isis and Shadi looked at him. Shadi glanced down at the still form standing beside him.

"The Spirit of the Ring is merely resting. He is emotionally exhausted. I have merely given him the privacy and the place to calm himself." Shadi said, gesturing slightly to his Millennium Key.

"Have you thought of a way to change them back?" Yami asked, trying to not look at the vacant eyed Bakura.

"Yes."

Every eye (with the exception of Isis and Bakura) widened.

"Then lets go!" Tristan said, shoving Malik forwards.

"How did you find out?" Ryou asked.

"The reason they are de-aging is that they all have unsatisfactory childhoods. The Shadow Magic, when it was released and combined with the electricity, sought them out and with random chance it latched onto something that was common with all three of them." Shadi said, and gestured for Malik to approach.

"That could be. But how long until they're back to normal?" Yugi questioned.

"They shall regain three years every three days, just like before only reversed. There is still a gap in the Shadow Realm caused by the electricity that I shall need to find out how to fix, but you shouldn't worry about it." Shadi stretched a hand towards Malik, who, suddenly recovered from his sugar rush, stared a bit apprehensively.

"They shall relive their worst childhood memory, and that should cause them to reverse the process." Shadi explained, and the darkness of the Shadow Realm swirled around until the room was covered.

Malik was staring straight ahead, and a light began to form before him.

(The memories will be in italic writing.)

"_Worthless boy, get over here!" Malik's father snapped. _

_Malik cringed, his mother and sister huddled in the behind him. His father was drunk again. _

"_It's time for you to learn your responsibilities as a Tomb Keeper." His father slurred, grabbing Malik harshly by the arm. _

"_But I don't want to be a Tomb Keeper!" Malik wailed. His father cuffed him across the face. _

"_Fool! Our bloodline has guarded the Pharaoh's Secret for centuries, and you DON'T WANT TOO??" he slapped Malik again, before dragging him away. _

"_But father.......Mother! Isis!" Malik cried as servants and his father dragged him off. _

The image shifted slightly, showing Malik with a bandaged back. This was obviously the time when he had his back tattooed with the Pharaoh's Secret.

(A/N: Sorry if I got that memory wrong, I saw it only once.)

The Shadow Magic pulsed and Malik jerked and was sent flying.

"Get the next one up, we have to keep the spell moving." Shadi ordered, as Malik was slumped in Joey's arms.

Marik was pushed forwards, and the images formed faster this time.

"_Worthless trash." There was the sound of a slap. Through a red haze, they could see Malik cringing. _

"Marik's memories are of Malik's hate and pain." Shadi said, as Marik stiffened, his eyes and mouth wide with horror and remembered pain.

_Alone. No one with him. Sheltered in preparation to be a Tomb Keeper. _

_Pain. His back hurt. The tattoos his father branded him with felt like fire. _

_Kill. He caused this. Father. Father caused this pain. Kill him. _

_Now. _

_Kill him now!_

_NOW!_

Marik jerked the same way Malik had, and was thrown backwards. But Shadi ignored him and turned to Yami Bakura, standing beside him.

The scene shifted again, and recognition came into Bakura's eyes at last.

(A/N: Bakura's memory is the same one that is in True Colors, since I wanted them to be the same.)

_Smoke. There was smoke. The young boy stood, still half asleep, glancing about in confusion._

"_Mother?" He called, blinking in the thick smoke. He stumbled outside their home, which was more like a shack that would fall at the slightest breeze. _

"_Father?" He called. There was silence. He continued to walk towards the middle of the village. His house was on the edge of it. _

_Screams were heard, still faint but growing louder. The smoke was thicker, and the boy could see fire licking the sides of many houses. _

_People were running.........soldiers wearing the pharaoh's armor were chasing down the villagers, cutting them down. Slaughtering them._

_"Father!" The boy cried, seeing his father fighting with the other men of the village before him. _

_The man looked over, seeing his son and hearing his cry. _

"_Go! Get out of here!" He shouted back, and then was delivered a harsh blow by the soldiers he was fighting. _

"_Father!" the boy cried again._

"_You there!" A soldier came running up, a spear ready to be plunged into the young boy. _

_Wide eyed, dream Bakura avoided the man, rolling aside in pure reflex and running as fast as he could. _

_Stumbling through smoke and fire, tripping over dead bodies, avoiding the soldiers, the dream Bakura ran. _

_Suddenly, he tripped, falling face first into a burning pile of wood. Crying out, he staggered back, wiping ash from his face. _

_Continuing his stumbling escape, the dream Bakura made it past the soldiers and into the desert of Ancient Egypt. The moon was up, making the golden sand look a pale silver._

_Looking back at the remains of his burning village, the dream Bakura broke down and wept, tears of anger, hate, and pain coursing down his sooty face._

Yami Bakura, standing beside Shadi, snapped rigidly straight and was blown backwards by the powerful force as well.

With a rumbling roar, the Shadows warped and faded. The three boys clumsily climbed to their feet. They were still nine years old.

"They're still nine!" Joey exclaimed.

"They will age in three days, just like before. The schedule has been reset." Shadi explained, and walked away to deal with the hole in the Shadow Realm.

Ryou ran to Yami Bakura, as Joey and Tristan helped Malik and Marik up. The three were dazed and seemed to have a minor headache.

"Come on, 'Kura. Let's go home." Ryou whispered, stroking his yami's hair on an impulse, hugging him close.

Isis took Malik and Marik, thanking Yugi and the others for watching them.

Everyone went home.

(The Next Day.)

"I play..........Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Joey said, as he placed the card on the "field."

It was actually the kitchen table, and Joey was dueling Yugi.

"I'll also play Scapegoat and end my turn." Joey said, setting the magic card with the red, blue, orange, and pink goats on them.

"I'll play Kuriboh and – "Yugi began, but a terrific shudder shook the house, causing Yami to snap out of his Soul Room as Joey and Yugi held tightly onto the table.

Light began to collect around the three cards set on the table, and they burst upwards.

And formed.

Revealing a roaring Red Eyes.

That was only three feet tall.

The summoned Shadow Monster and the three in the kitchen stared at each other.

A mini Kuriboh crawled out from behind the dragon, and four Scapegoats scurried out as well.

"We're in trouble." Joey muttered.

"Joey! Get your Scapegoats before we lose them!" Yami shouted, pointing as the blue and orange one tried to take off.

"What? Oh! Come here, ya little guys." Joey said, shepherding the small balls of fluff into his hands. They fit nicely in his palms. He tried to grab the other two, but they scampered off before he could.

Yami was trying to calm the confused Red Eyes down. It was the size of a dog, but that was beyond the point. It was still dangerous.

"Only Bakura can summon monsters from the Shadow Realm! Yugi, go get him and get him to send them back!" Yami rumbled, trying to get close to the Red Eyes without being bitten.

"But Bakura's only nine years old! He couldn't do this!" Yugi protested.

"He summoned the Man-Eater Bug that one time! Even if he DIDN'T do this, he can still send them back. So go get him! Aaah!" Yami howled, leaping back as the Red Eyes snapped at him. Yugi took off.

Yugi reached Ryou's house and pounded on the door.

Ryou opened it, and Yugi babbled out his story. Ryou's eyes widened and he turned and shouted up the stairs for his yami.

"What do you want, hikari?" Bakura muttered as he stumbled sleepily down the stairs.

"When did you last summon a monster?" Ryou demanded. The small yami blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"That time in Isis's basement. The Bug." Bakura yawned, and Ryou grabbed him and dragged him out the door after Yugi.

"Well, then somehow some monsters got loose in Yugi's house. You need to put them back!" Ryou explained, dragging the confused Tomb Robber behind him.

"Really? What ones?" Bakura asked, waking up a bit.

"Joey and I were dueling and near the beginning of the game our cards came to life! Joey's Scapegoat and Red Eyes are loose, and Yami's Kuriboh." Yugi said, as they ran down the streets to reach the Kame Shop and run inside.

A roar echoed as they went inside, followed by Joey crawling on hands and knees after the orange Scapegoat, the other three tucked inside the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing.

"Oh, good! Yami B. is here!" Joey shouted, making a grab for the goat and missing.

"Why are they so small?" Ryou asked, and Joey shrugged.

"Get that blasted Tomb Robber in here!" Yami shouted, and another roar cut loose.

A Kuriboh was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, watching Yami still trying to get to the Red Eyes, which fended him off with flailing tail and wings, snapping teeth and raking claws.

Bakura ran forwards, Shadow Magic swirling around his hands.

The dragon turned to stare at him, and Bakura released his magic.

There was a burst of darkness as the Shadows hit, and the house shuddered on its foundation.

The Shadows cleared, and the Dragon was still there.

Bakura was exhausted from the effort, and it hadn't worked. The monsters were still there.

"Something is wrong. The Shadow Realm is out of balance. I felt it when I tried to dismiss the Red Eyes." Bakura whispered, blinking tiredly. He had been dragged out of bed, hauled into the Pharaoh's house, and had tried to dismiss a Red Eyes Black Dragon. It was a lot of work.

"Didn't Shadi mention something being wrong with the Shadow Realm because of your accident with the microwave?" Yugi mused, and Ryou's eyes brightened.

"That must be the problem. We'll go talk to Isis and Shadi again, and see what we can do. Until then, we had better not duel with Shadow Magic anymore." Ryou cast a glance at Yami.

"What? We were normal dueling." Joey said, confused.

"Er.......so I tweaked it a bit? It wasn't a big deal!" Yami protested in his defense.

Bakura snickered. "Pharaoh was cheating."

"Not cheating! Just....tweaking it a bit." Yami muttered, finding the floor really interesting.

"Oh well.......I can't dismiss the monsters until they Shadow Realm is fixed, so good luck and ja ne." Yami Bakura said, heading to the door.

There was a whine, and Bakura glanced back as he heard the scratching of claws behind him.

The Red Eyes was following him, whining slightly.

"It seemed you Shadow Magic did SOMETHING to it." Yami said, grinning. "You made him like you. That means YOU can watch him while we deal with the other monsters." Yami said, shoving the Red Eyes towards the Tomb Robber.

"What? That's not fair!" Bakura protested as the Red Eyes ambled up to him.

"Yeah, how are we going to hide a dragon at home?" Ryou agreed, glaring at Yami. Joey still crawled after his wayward Scapegoat and Yugi was cuddling the Kuriboh.

"Put it in Bakura's Soul Room." Yami said, and Bakura cocked his head.

"That would work? Maybe...." He gestured and the dragon disappeared. He sighed with relief. It was out of the way until he could figure out how to get rid of it.

"Hey! That's my dragon, so why shouldn't I watch 'im?" Joey demanded, clutching the goat in one hand and holding his hoodie pocket closed with the other to keep the rest of the Scapegoats from escaping.

"Because you can barely watch four hand sized goats, much less a dragon." Yami pointed out, and Joey sputtered but had to agree.

"Fine. We'll watch the baka dragon." Bakura sighed. "I'll just keep my Soul Room locked so that he can't get out."

"That's as much as we can hope." Yami said.

"Um......guys?" Joey called.

"What?"

"I lost the Scapegoats." Joey said sheepishly, watching as the four balls of fluff disappeared.

With a sigh, Yami put the Kuriboh in Yugi's Soul Room (it would get lost in his) and went to help look for the goats.

"Um......Bakura? We have trouble." Ryou whispered. The Tomb Robber turned and gaped.

Ryou held his deck, staring at it in slight fear as it glowed.

His own cards began to summon themselves.

(End Chapter.)

Okay, sorry people but I'm having writers block. So if you think the chapter is kind of far fetched, let me know and I will try and change it. I just couldn't think of anything.

Thanks to all reviewers!

Chaotic Demon: Thanks a lot!

TrekieGreenieSHannaraElfo: Lol, not a big fan of Seto, are you? Thanks for your review!

X-mas Girl: Marik and Malik would probably fight, but I think Yami Bakura is a bit depressed too fight. But now that the spell is reversed, maybe they will. That opens some new opportunities.

Lilwagon: Thanks a lot!

LuvMarik: Thanks for your review, I'll try.

Hatsuharolover: Yami Bakura is my favorite character, then Marik and Malik. Can't decide between those two, but Bakura is always my favorite.

Zapper133: Well, thanks for your review!

EvilDustBunny: Thanks a lot!

Daisaigai 697832: Thanks for your review!


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Chapter Seven

At the same time, Yugi's and Joey's decks, forgotten on the table, glowed and released monsters before Bakura could seal them up.

A flash of light and the Dark Magician was standing there, confused.

Another flash and the Flame Swordsman popped out, immediately tripping over Joey who was still crawling after the wayward scapegoats.

Dark Necrophia appeared behind Ryou.

And the Man-Eater Bug beside her.

Then Bakura sealed the cards shut and no more got loose.

It was instant chaos after that.

The Flame Swordsman was hopping from foot to foot, trying to avoid scapegoats and the crawling Joey.

Dark Necrophia and Dark Magician began growling at each other, readying themselves for battle.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon popped out of Yami Bakura's soul room and began a fight with the Man-Eater Bug.

"STOP THIS!" Yami roared.

Surprisingly, they did.

The Duel Monsters were still, (except for the scapegoats, which continued to move.) and the other kids stood quiet as well.

"Bakura, stop the Red-Eyes and the Bug from killing each other. Dark Magician, leave Dark Necrophia alone. Flame Swordsman, move away from the goats, and Joey, catch those blasted creatures!" Yami commanded, and Joey scooped two up while the Flame Swordsman grabbed the other two.

The Dark Magician seemed to be........pouting? That was odd. And Dark Necrophia was standing in front of Ryou and Bakura protectively, with the Man-Eater Bug and Red-Eyes around her.

The newly summoned monsters were smaller than usual, like the other ones. Where the Dark Magician, Flame Swordsman, and Dark Necrophia would have been taller than Joey, they were now even in height with Ryou. (who I think is a little bit shorter than Joey.)

The Man-Eater Bug, when standing on its legs, was shoulder height to Yugi.

All in all, it will prove to be a lot of trouble.

(After a minute of calming down.)

"Alright, so what are we going to do with these guys?" Joey asked, leaning against the wall with the Flame Swordsman next to him.

"I don't know." Yami admitted. The Duel Monsters from his deck were standing nearby, quiet.

Ryou could be heard yelling.

"Ra curse it, you monsters! Stop fighting!" Ryou shouted. The Man-Eater Bug and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon were not giving up their fight. The two seemed to have a grudge against each other. Dark Necrophia just shook her head and continued watching over Bakura, who seemed slightly weak from trying to use Shadow Magic.

"Maybe Isis will know." Yugi mused.

"Yeah, she probably will, but how do we get there with Monsters by our side?" Ryou asked, frustrated.

"Put them in your soul room." Joey said, grinning.

Ryou shook his head. "Fine. But you're watching the Scapegoats, as they're not too noticeable. I can only have so many in my head at once."

"Alright." He looked around, frowning. "Where are they again?"

Ryou slapped his forehead with a hand. "O' Ra, why me?" He muttered.

(On the way to Isis's)

"Ryou? What's the matter?" Yami asked as they walked.

Ryou grimaced. "The Bug and Dragon are not quitting their fight, despite Bakura trying to stop them." He rubbed his temples, grumbling.

Yugi looked at him with sympathy. He and Yami were holding the Dark Magician, the Flame Swordsman, and the Kuriboh inside his Soul Room, and they were behaving.

(A/N: Now, I am making up their ability to put the Duel Monsters into their Soul Rooms. It might not be a true ability, but for the sake of the story, lets say it is.)

Ryou mentally heard the Man-Eater Bug and Red-Eyes growl at each other, then Dark Necrophia's voice as she helped Bakura split them apart.

Ryou turned his sight into the depths of his mind, and smiled as he "saw" Bakura shove the Red-Eyes into Ryou's Soul Room and lock the Bug in his.

"What are you smiling about?" Joey questioned.

"Dark Necrophia split up the fight." Ryou answered.

"I never liked that monster. She creeps me out." Joey said conversationally.

Ryou laughed and shook his head. They arrived at the museum and went in.

(Inside.)

After explaining their problem to Isis, she nodded in understanding and reassured them that Malik and Marik had not tried to summon any monsters lately.

Which was a relief. It would be VERY bad if a physical version of Ra appeared, even if he would be a miniature.

They released the monsters from their Soul Rooms, and Isis spent some time using her item to "see" possible ways to return them to the Shadow Realm.

Bakura went off with Malik and Marik somewhere, and the others got down to business.

"Yami Bakura should be able to do this once he gets older, which shouldn't be long, according to Shadi." She said. "But I can't do anything right now."

"Great." Ryou sighed.

"Um, where are they?" Tristan asked, glancing about.

"Where are who?" Yugi asked.

"The kids. Uh, Bakura, Malik, and Marik." Tristan said, now spinning about in place. Everyone looked around.

They were gone.

And so was Joey.

"Great." Ryou said again, taking off where he sensed his yami to be, the others following behind.

He slid to a stop at what he saw in one of the more private rooms of the museum, though.

Bakura, Malik, Marik, and, surprisingly, Joey, were crouched around a small obstacle course built of books, a globe, and other random items.

Each held a small Scapegoat.

They stood in front of the finished obstacle course, determined and not paying the others any mind.

"Okay, whoever wins this, the others have to give him their dessert for today." Joey said solemnly.

He held the orange Scapegoat.

"Great." Malik said, grinning as he looked at the pink one that was nestled in his hands.

Marik nodded in agreement, stroking his blue one.

Bakura was whispering to his little red one, and smirked as they got ready to release the little duel monsters.

"No cheating." Joey said firmly.

Bakura cast him a annoyed look, before crouching down.

"Okay..........GO!"

They let the scapegoats go and cheered them on as they ran though the obstacle course.

Yami raised an eyebrow, and the others grinned in amusement. A new idea.

"GO GO GO!!" Malik cheered, the pink scapegoat crossing the finish line, really a line of chalk drawn on the floor.

"YAY!" Malik whooped, scooping the goat up and hugging it. Bakura got in second, Marik in third, and Joey's came in last.

"Figures." The blonde sniffed, but congratulated his goat anyways.

"Now that we're done playing, we need to figure out what's going on." Yami said, and they decided it was a good idea.

Down to business.

What to do about the seven duel monsters and the three de-aged kids who were going to take a while before growing older? And when was Bakura considered old enough to be strong enough to dismiss the monsters?

Only Ra knew.

- - - - - - - -

Okay! I know this story is getting far fetched way, WAY too much, but oh well. I can't help it. So the whole story will be far fetched and nearly everyone is OOC.

Thanks to all reviewers!

Daisaigai 697832: Lol, thanks. I know it is farfetched, and I'm trying to repair that, but I can't do much on an empty mind, no? Lol, thanks for your reviews.

Chaotic Demon: Thanks!

Blizwolf: Lol, thanks a lot!

I'm Not Tellin': I've responded with that name a time or too as well, lol. Thanks for your review and I tried to update as soon as I can.

Han Futsu; Anti Normal: Lol, good idea, but I don't know how I would do that. I'll keep it in mind though.

Ashla: Thanks a lot!

x-mas Girl: I like cliff hangers. (When I'm making them) lol, I don't like reading them.

Hatsuahrolover: Malik is my second favorite. It's very close between Bakura and Malik. Thanks for your review!


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Chapter Eight

Malik was a VERY happy kid at the end of the day. Joey, Bakura, and Marik had dutifully given him the prize of his victory.

Four bowls of chocolate ice cream was more than enough to please him.

They had decided to stay at Isis's large mansion, for that night the three kids should grow up three more years or so.

As everyone but the three losers of the scapegoat race ate, Malik dug into the heap of sugary sweetness before him.

He caught sight of Bakura pouting a bit though. He couldn't understand it until he remembered Ryou saying something.

Bakura, after his first taste, was a major chocoholic. He could eat anything chocolate anytime he wished and never get tired of it.

Malik cocked his head, staring at his friend, then shoved one of the bowls back to him.

"You got second, so you should have ice cream too." Malik said to his astonished look.

He got a very big grin and then Bakura began wolfing down the chocolate.

Feeling generous, Malik polished off his first bowl and started on the other two, waving for Marik to help him finish.

"What about me?" Joey complained.

Malik raised an eyebrow and giggled.

"You came in last. You don't get no ice cream." Malik said, pointing at Joey with his spoon.

Joey pouted but everyone else laughed.

Bakura finished his off then set it on the floor to have the Red Eyes and Man-Eater Bug finish off.

Each of the scapegoats were with their separate people, the ones who had raced them.

Malik allowed the pink one to taste his ice cream, while Marik played with the blue one by rolling a M&M (which he had mixed in with his ice cream, a idea by Isis) across the table and letting the goat go after it and eat it.

Bakura's was nestled in his mess of white hair, dozing comfortably in the surprisingly soft spikes.

They finished their ice cream, Joey pouting as he watched everyone.

Malik, after three bowls of ice cream, was as hyper as everyone had ever seen him.

His eyes were glitteringly bright, he positively vibrated with pent up energy.

"Well? What do you want to do now?" He said, jumping up in down and clapping his hands.

"We could play a game, I guess." Yugi said. They were all sitting in the living room, priceless Egyptian vases on dark wooden desks, the Scapegoats tumbling across the pale carpet. Books on shelves were against each of the walls. All the furniture was dark wood.

Bakura had fallen asleep on the table, nobody really wanted to wake him up. Even though he was nine years old, he was still not a friendly person and would use whatever Shadow Powers he still had to punish whoever woke him.

Marik was sitting beside Rishid, watching his hyper hikari bounce around the room. Isis was talking with Yami in the kitchen, and the Dark Magician, Dark Necrophia, and Flame Swordsman had finally resolved their grudges and were chatting quietly in the corner of the room, the Red-Eyes black dragon was sleeping in front of the empty fireplace and the Man-Eater Bug was batting at the playing Scapegoats.

"Where's Kuriboh?" Joey asked, glancing about.

"He's being abused by Malik." Yugi said with amusement, watching as the hyper kid ran after the scurrying Kuriboh.

"Come back, kitty!" he shouted, bouncing up and down in frustration as he missed again.

"Malik, that's not a cat." Joey said, and Malik stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

"It could be a kitty." He said. He ran after it again, knocking the Red-Eyes and the scapegoats aside as he raced up the stairs after the frightened Kuriboh.

Marik felt the sudden light headedness that signaled another age change, and flinched at the feeling.

Rishid looked down, noticed the glow, and called for Isis.

Yami Bakura, asleep at the table, awoke with a start.

He saw the glow, felt the dizziness, and decided to go somewhere more private. He slipped away as Yami and Isis rushed into the living room.

Marik was concentrating on staying upright, leaning against Rishid as the older man steadied him.

There was a flash of light and Marik stared at them.

A younger Marik.

A cry of shock echoed from upstairs.

A six year old Malik came stumbling down, such utter confusion in his lavender eyes.

And a howl of rage rent the air as Yami Bakura, in some secluded corner of the house, gave vent to his shock, rage, and grief.

What were they going to do now?

(End Chapter.)

Due to mass protest at them aging again, I decided to keep them going down in years. But you guys better help me think of how they can change back now!

I am having severe writer's block, so sorry for the long wait.

Thanks to all reviewers!

Yami Silverdramon: Thanks. I like making long chapters. I think there are not enough of them. Hope this update was quick enough, I've been having writer's block. inches away from psychotic yami, hiding behind Yami Bakura. Thanks for your review!

I'm Not Telln': Glad you liked the chapter!

Laughoutloud: Lol, thanks for your review!

Clicker: Thanks!

Hatsuhraolover: I had fun making up the scapegoat race, and I figured Malik doesn't win enough. I would've had Bakura win, since he's my fav. Character, but I decided Malik deserved it. Thanks for your review!

Chaotic Demon: Thanks for your review!

Selene-Yugi: You see? They don't get older, Shadi screwed up. See? See? I thought they'd be cute as lil' chibis too. Thanks a lot!

x-mas gurl: Thanks for your review, and sorry for the late update. Takes knife to writer's block.

Blah: Thanks for your review!

Leeringmonket: Thanks for your review!

Telly: Thanks for your review! Better get your story updated again soon, as well!


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Chapter Nine

"YOU CAN'T BE SEWIOUS!!!!" Bakura's howl rang through the house, his "R's" slightly messed up since his young age.

Malik, teary eyed and confused, nearly fell off the last two steps. Luckily Rishid was there to catch him. He blinked up at Rishid, before he buried his face into Rishid's neck.

Marik stared at his hands, before looking up as Isis.

"What 'appened? I thought Shadi fixed this........." he muttered, slumping farther into the couch.

Rishid placed Malik on the couch beside his yami, and Dark Necrophia went to go find Bakura.

Yami and Yugi were discussing with Isis on what went wrong with Shadi's spell.

Dark Necrophia returned, a six-year-old Bakura in tow.

Ryou's eyes softened a great deal at the sight of the adorable kid following the Duel Monster. Though Bakura was glaring sulkily at the floor, his red-brown eyes and soft, long white hair seemed a bit gentler than they had been before.

Ryou went forwards, catching his little yami in an embrace.

Bakura protested and wiggled away, before sitting down on the floor beside the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, which nuzzled him.

"I shall speak to Shadi, but I shall say I had not Seen this before hand." Isis said.

"So shall we go home?" Yugi asked.

Isis sighed. "I don't wish to send you away, but I think that would be best. Malik and Marik shall stay here, of course." She said.

Yami nodded.

"Do you want to go back to your house or stay at ours, Ryou?" the ex-pharaoh asked.

Ryou considered.

If he went to his house, there was the chance that something would happen and he couldn't help. As for going to Yugi's, it would only irritate Bakura. Ryou knew that he cared about Bakura's health more than Bakura's attitude.

"Your house, if that will be alright." He said.

Yami nodded and they left, everyone else leaving for home as well.

"Hey, I have an idea! Let's have a sleep over!" Yugi said, before anyone got too far.

"Well, okay." Everyone said, and they agreed that after they called any parents/siblings that needed to be notified and grabbed any needed items that they would come over.

"Can't wait to see you!" Yugi chirped happily.

- - - - - - - -

"Hey, guess what? Everyone is coming over for a sleep over!!" Yugi cheered, dancing about.

"You have to be kidding."

Yugi paused in mid-bounce.

Bakura stood there, frowning at him cutely. His large reddish eyes glaring at the now taller boy.

"You mean all of those idiots are coming here?" He protested, wincing at how his voice sounded.

Yugi shrugged.

"You'll have fun, I'm sure." He said, and smiled slightly as the six-year old proceeded to pout.

"Are we going to let the Duel Monsters out?" Yami asked, standing up from the couch.

"We could.........I guess." Ryou said.

There were several flashes, and Dark Necrophia and Dark Magician appeared.

"Where's the Dragon and the Bug?" Yugi asked Bakura, who was still sulking.

"They don't want to come out." He said, and turned away in a huff.

Dark Necrophia walked over to her little master, and proceeded to engage in a conversation with him.

"Poor thief." Yami commented, actually feeling sorry for him.

Yugi nodded. How could you not?

"He does make a cute kid though........." Yugi said, and paused with embarrassment as Yami raised an eyebrow.

"Well, he does!" Yugi protested, and the Dark Magician chuckled.

"No laughing from you." Yugi said, and that only made the Dark Magician laugh.

Yami Bakura turned and glared at them, but was interrupted as the door bell rang several times and opened to reveal the waiting gang, all ready for a sleep over.

"O' Ra, why me?" little Bakura muttered.

(End Chapter)

**SO Sorry! I've been having extreme writer's block and can't seem to get going!**

Thanks to all reviewers, but I can't answer you all right now.........

**Hope you enjoy this really short chapter, and sorry again!**


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Review responses at the end of the chapter.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(.........) Yami thinking

/........./ Hikari thinking

'.........' Normal thought

"........." Normal speech

(A/N:.........) Author's Note

Chapter Ten

Everyone was having a fun time. The Duel Monsters had retreated to the Soul Room of their respective masters, and Yami put the Flame Swordsman into his Soul Room with the Dark Magician so that Joey wouldn't have to worry about it.

Almost everyone was having fun, that is.

Bakura lurked on the outside of the circle of friends, watching angrily. He didn't want to spend the night with them! He paced back and forth, deep in thought. What could he do that would keep him entertained and away from his hikari's annoying friends?

He winced as Tea shrieked with delight at the sight of the movies and games that were planned for that night.

Ra, she was loud.

"Let's watch a movie!" She cheered, and began digging through the pile.

"Let's not." Bakura muttered, slipping away to the kitchen. What could he do?

Hmm.........that looks promising.

Grinning evilly, Bakura got to work.

- - - - - - - - -

"Well, so what are we going to watch first?" Joey said, looking through the movies.

"What choices do we have?" Duke asked, plopping onto the couch next to Tristan and Tea. Yami was in a Lay-Z-Boy chair, and Yugi and Ryou were making up some popcorn and other snacks.

"Well, we have a few thrillers, a couple comedies, action, horror, and, ugh! A romance." Joey said, crinkling his nose at the offending tape.

"Oooh! Let's watch that one!" Tea squealed.

"How about not?" Duke said, digging through the pile and pulling out one of the movies.

"_Gone in 60 Seconds_. Doesn't sound too bad." He mused, sticking it in.

"Hey! Who says we want to watch that one?" Tea protested.

"Oh, relax. We'll be here all night, so we all will be able to choose a movie." Duke waved her off.

"Fine." She pouted.

"We have popcorn!" Yugi cried, bringing in a BIG bowl.

"And chips for those of us who are not that fond of popcorn." Ryou said.

"Do you have drinks?" Joey asked, scrambling up onto the couch next to Duke.

"Of course, but be careful and don't spill!" Yugi said.

Joey walked into the kitchen, and paused as he reached for a Coke.

Bakura was up on the countertop, digging through the cupboards.

"What are you doing?" Joey asked. He couldn't help but be curious. It was an odd thing for a six-year-old yami to be doing, wasn't it?

"Looking for something to eat." Bakura snapped, glaring at the intrusion.

"There's chips and popcorn right there." Joey said, confused. He pointed to the table, where the bags of chips and then pointed to where Yugi held the popcorn.

"I don't want those." Bakura scoffed.

"Then what do you want?" Joey questioned.

"Chocolate." Bakura hissed, eyes gleaming.

"Whoa.........okay, Yami B. Would you like me to find you some?" Joey asked, edging away at the look in the little yami's eyes.

Bakura stared at him for a moment, as if debating on if he wanted Joey's help.

"I guess........."

"Okay!" Joey said, smiling widely. He reached up into the cupboards, quickly and efficiently searching through them at a faster rate than Bakura could have.

"Ah ha! Success for the Joe-ster!" Joey cried triumphantly, holding up a bag of chocolate chips. Semi-sweet.

Bakura's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips.

"Here ya go, Bakura." Joey said, tossing the bag over. He turned to walk back to the living room.

"Thank you."

The soft-spoken words made him pause for a moment.

"Hey, you're welcome." Joey said, smiling at the small child. He walked back into the living room, plopping down onto the couch to watch the movie with everyone else.

Bakura sat on the counter, easily tearing the bag open with his small fangs. He watched the mortals in the other room, sitting in the dark, staring at the TV.

The small yami snorted.

Where was the fun in that?

His eyes roamed for something to do, and paused as they fell onto the punch that sat on the table.

Grinning wickedly, he stood up and slunk across the counter, leaping lightly onto the table.

Now, where were the items he needed?

- - - - - - - - - -

Tea shrieked as the car started to get crushed, the man inside pleading for his brother to help him.

"Gosh, Tea, SHUT UP!" Joey hissed, wincing as she squeezed his arm tightly.

"Oh, the poor man!" She wailed.

"Relax, he doesn't die." Joey growled at her, removing her fingers from his sore arm.

"Hey! I haven't seen this before!" Duke protested.

"He doesn't?" Tea questioned.

"No. And he was a car thief too! So he probably deserves this." Tristan told her, before refocusing on the movie.

"Now, Tristan, that's not nice. After all, Yami B. is a thief, and he wouldn't deserve to be crushed in a car." Joey said.

"Maybe." Tristan said doubtfully, then caught Ryou's glare. "Ah.........yeah, you're right." He amended hastily.

"Anyways, let's just watch the movie." Ryou said, turning back to the movie.

- - - - - - - - -

"Hmph. Why does the idiot always stick up for me?" Bakura wondered as he finished his handiwork.

"Maybe because he recognizes the fact that you two are halves of the same soul, Master." Dark Necrophia suggested as she helped her young master down from the table.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to help me." Bakura stated, peeking around the kitchen wall into the living room.

"But he chooses too. Just as you choose to help him out." The Duel Monster touched off the new concoction they had brewed up.

"When have I helped him out?" Bakura protested.

"Protecting him from bullies? Helping him in those research papers that one time. Just being there for him. All those things helps him." Dark Necrophia answered, and disappeared back into Bakura's Soul Room.

"Hmmm........." Bakura said thoughtfully. He shook his head and shrugged.

Time to let the fun start.

(End Chapter.)

Okay, EXTREMLEY short chapter, I'm sorry, but this cursed writer's block is killing me! I'm trying, I really am, but I hope you understand.........

Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed this story and I'm glad you like it so much!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

(………) Yami thinking

/………/ Hikari thinking

'………' Normal thought

"………" Normal speech

(A/N:………) Author's Note

Chapter Eleven

The punch was sitting on the table, all ready to drink.

Hopefully, no one will notice that Bakura had dumped as much salt and pepper and other random ingredients into it as he possibly could.

What else to do to entertain himself?

That done, Bakura hunted for the perfect tool he needed, and, finding it, went to find a fuse box.

If they liked movies with the lights off, then they should have ALL lights off.

Heh………

Dark Necrophia was unobtrusively watching those in the living room.

And Bakura was unplugging the wires in the fuse box.

Okay………that one was the lights. It had to go.

There was the electric wire. If he pulled that out the TV would shut off. That would quit Bakura's fun, so nope, it stays.

He reached out to cut it, and as the scissors he was holding awkwardly in his hand closed around the little wire, something went wrong and with a blinding jolt Bakura once again was shocked and thrown backwards.

Ryou jumped up immediately at Bakura's cry of pain, and then the lights began to flicker. The movie jumped off and on, as the power came and went.

Then everything went back to normal.

Ryou ran through the house, shouting for Bakura.

He found him dazed in the basement.

Nine years old again.

His hair was sticking up, and static was making the air crackle.

Bakura blinked up as everyone arrived.

"Heh………oops?"

- - - - - - - - - -

Malik and Marik were enjoying their now younger life. They were still six-years old and having a grand time tormenting Isis and running her ragged.

She sighed. "I thought it was hard when I had only Malik to take care of." She heard a crash and went running again. A broken vase and two sheepish six year olds greeted her. They took off as soon as they saw her.

"Where's Rishid?" she asked the broken vase before her as she tried to clean up the mess.

"Where's the cure for this?" She moaned, burying her face in her hands as there was another chorus of crashes.

"O' Ra, why me??"

- -- - - - - - - - -

"So it was an electric shock?" Joey said.

"Yes. Hopefully it stays." Ryou answered.

"What do you mean?" Yugi questioned, looking up from where he was laying on the ground, watching the movie again.

"Well, it might not stay like this. He might change back to six years old." Ryou explained. He and Bakura had talked it over.

Bakura seemed in higher spirits now.

"So we might need to shock them repeatedly?" Yami asked, hope in his eyes.

Bakura glared at him from his spot in the comfy Lay-Z-Boy.

"Well, yes," Ryou said, looking a bit perturbed at the death glares flying back and forth.

"Let's go tell Isis," Yugi suggested.

"Can I do the shocking?" Yami pleaded.

- -- - - - - - - - - -

Isis sighed as she heard the door bell ring.

"I'll get it!" Malik cried, running towards the door.

He struggled buy finally opened the door before Isis got there.

And was faced with Yugi and the others.

And a smirking, nine year old Bakura.

Malik's eyes went wider.

"You's got older!" He shouted. He then proceeded to pout as they walked past him, Bakura looking sumg.

"Oh thank Ra, you found a cure!" Isis cried thankfully, and grabbed Marik as he tried to sneak by.

"Well, sort of." Ryou began.

"What? What do I have to do to get them back to normal?" Isis asked. Everyone looked a bit disturbed at her pleading.

"Shock them," Yami said, enjoying the sudden expressions on Marik and Malik's faces.

"Shock them?"

"Yes. Bakura was messing with the fuse box at home and got shocked, and now he's this age," Ryou explained.

"Ah."

Marik snickered. "You got shocked."

"Yeah, and you're next!" Bakura sneered.

"So, how do we shock them?" Yugi asked.

"And can I do it??" Yami pleaded.

- -- - - - - - - -- -

End Chapter

Sorry for the incredible late update! I've been busy with school, and then this story always stumped me for at least two months! I couldn't rid myself of the writer's block!

Thanks to all reviewers!


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

1/26/05

(………) Yami thinking

/………/ Hikari thinking

'………' Normal thought

"………" Normal speech

(A/N:………) Author's Note

Chapter Twelve

They gathered the three de-aged boys together, and Yami was preparing himself for the shock he would deliver.

"Yami, remember, don't hurt them." Yugi reminded.

"Yeah, yeah." Yami said, waving his warning off.

"Let's get this over with." Bakura snapped. His hair still stuck up from the shock he had received not too long ago.

"Okay, here we go!" Yami shouted, and released the power he had held in check.

The two spirits and one mortal screamed in sudden pain, and Yami gasped.

It hadn't turned out the way they were supposed too.

Three three-year olds stared back at Yami as he gaped.

"Yami! You made it worse!" Yugi shouted, watching as Isis looked ready to faint as Malik and Marik took off again throughout the house, and Ryou cuddled the chibi Bakura to him.

Crashes rang out and Isis prayed fervently to Ra to spare her this plague and destroy her brothers right then and there.

Or at least restore them back to normal. Anything was better than this.

"My Pharaoh, take no offense, but I don't think I want you to try and 'cure' my brothers again." She said, very sternly, before running after her brothers and screaming in Egyptian.

Yami shuffled his feet, looking sheepish.

Ryou shook his head.

"We're going home." He said firmly, picking the little Bakura up and walking out the door.

"I was just trying to help!" Yami's protest echoed behind him.

Ryou sighed as he looked into his yami's deep, innocent brown eyes.

Bakura didn't seem to remember anything.

And the Duel Monsters were getting weary from being away from the Shadow Realm, and were now barely coming out at all.

What else could go wrong?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The next morning, Ryou awoke to find a small Bakura cuddled up to him, the blue Scapegoat curled up beside the chibi.

Shocked at this abnormal behavior, it took Ryou a moment to remember that Bakura was now three years old and didn't remember anything he used to know.

Well, he seemed to remember them on a instinctive level. He knew Ryou, he knew his way around the house.

And when Yami, Yugi, and Joey came over to Ryou's house later that day, he reacted violently and went off to sulk.

Until he forgot why and came back, all smiles and giggles.

Yami and Yugi were on the couch, and Joey was on the floor with Bakura.

They were still so surprised at the little, happy, sweet chibi that was Bakura.

To think that the big, bad, evil, blood-thirsty, soul-stealing, Tomb Robber Bakura could be such a darling child.

Ryou was happy, that much was clear. Sure, he loved his yami when he was normal, but this little chibi needed him in a way that the normal Bakura would never would.

That, and he was so amazingly cute, with his wild white fluffy hair and large red-brown eyes that watched everything around him.

Ryou invited them all to lunch, and they accepted.

So while he was cooking, Joey began to play with Bakura.

He was hesitant about it at first, but soon was freely having fun.

Joey had raided Ryou's closet and found the game "Jenga". (A/N: Not mine. I did this with a little cousin during Christmas Break.)

They played by seeing how high they could stack the blocks.

Bakura stood up as tall as he could and placed another block on top, and giggled as it sway rather precariously back and forth.

Joey smiled, totally unable to believe the little yami's sudden sweetness.

Yami, though, was glaring at Bakura as if he expected him to suddenly to morph into his normal sadistic self and slaughter them all, or rob them blind.

But Joey and Bakura played nicely until lunch was ready.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Unlike two other little horrors.

Three-year olds Marik and Malik were enjoying themselves greatly by running Isis and Rishid ragged.

Isis sighed and flopped down on the couch, admitting defeat.

She laid her head in her hands and cursed the spell that had made them de-age in the first place. How were they to fix this? Sure, it seemed shocking them made them age or de-age, but they could control on which way it went.

Shadi couldn't do it.

So what was going on?

Maybe they had to do something………all three had messed up relationships with their relatives………maybe they had to get along.

As Isis pondered this, she felt a soft weight on her leg.

She ignored it and went on with her deep thoughts.

The weight receeded, and she felt something climb up onto the couch next to her.

"Ithith?"

Sighing, Isis opened her eyes to look into those of Malik.

"Ithith, I'm tired." He said, yawning. He cuddled up against her and rested his head against her arm, easily falling asleep.

Isis felt her heart melt, and draped an arm around her little brother.

Marik, peeking around the wall, looked for his hikari, and saw him asleep with Isis.

Deciding he was tired too, he climbed up as well, and forced his way between Isis's other side and the couch.

Soon he was all curled up and happy, snoring away.

Isis blinked in surprise, then smiled.

She was happy too.

There was a flash of a camera, suddenly, and she snapped her eyes open to look at Rishid, who was grinning sheepishly.

She looked like a mess, with her hair out of place and her clothes rumpled, with two rather dirty chibi's on either side of her.

And Rishid had taken a picture.

He will so die.

But after the chibi's woke up.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Bakura yawned, tired and weary. He climbed up onto the Lay-Z-boy chair and curled up, quite content.

Joey walked in, and, seeing the couch occupied by Yami and Ryou and Yugi, and the chair used by Bakura, shrugged and went over to the chair. He easily picked Bakura up, causing the chibi to growl slightly at being disturbed, but then he was next to a warm body and he forgave whoever it was, curling around and snuggling closer.

Joey grinned as he felt Bakura snuggle closer, and softly petted the yami's hair. He would not forget who this was, but while he was a chibi Joey actually liked him.

Ryou smiled too, glad to see his yami behaving.

He still wanted his Bakura back, though.

Yami, however, glared at the little chibi. He was going to do something, and Yami would catch him at it.

He couldn't think that Bakura could be anything other than evil.

And he'll find him out sooner or later.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

(End Chapter)

Sorry for the short chapter, but it's better than nothing!

Thanks to all reviewers! Until next time. I think I found some inspiration.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

2/20/05

(………) Yami thinking

/………/ Hikari thinking

'………' Normal thought

"………" Normal speech

_:………….: spirits speech_

(A/N:………) Author's Note

**Chapter Thirteen**

Yugi invited them all to sleep over for the weekend, and Ryou realized that it had been a full week with Bakura de-aging. It was now Friday night.

Everyone left to get stuff for the sleep over, and Ryou helped Yugi make a big dinner for their friends. Yami was watching TV, and Bakura was playing with the Jenga blocks again.

Bakura was lost in his thoughts though. He was upset about something, but couldn't remember what. Yami obviously didn't like him, and everyone else except Ryou, Joey, and Yugi were cautious around him and didn't trust him.

That made him feel horrible, and add to that the confusing and conflicting emotions he was feeling, he was quite upset.

_:What is the matter:_

Bakura blinked, looking around. He heard the voice. He know he did. And, somehow, it was familiar.

_:You have not spoken to us in many years. You have forgotten us.: _

Bakura blinked and focused on the foggy blur to his right, seeing the vague shape of a man there. Not enough to tell features, but enough to tell it is a man.

"Huh?" he asked intelligently.

_:You had promised us rest and revenge. You have forgotten your promise.: _The voce spoke again.

_:He is young, again. Back to the age when the Tragedy first happened. We cannot blame him.:_ Another one spoke up, and Bakura got the sense it was defending him from the other voices that were now crowding him.

_:That is no excuse to fail his promise.:_ The first replied.

_:But it is.:_ The second protested.

Soon another chorus of voices spoke up.

_:I do not blame him. He is a sweet child. Remember:_

_:Ai, he was a darling kid. It was a God's blessing that he survived the Tragedy.:_

_:Yes, I remember. Very well. No fault of his.:_ The first amended.

Bakura blinked, royally confused. These voices were familiar, he knew them, but couldn't place them.

_:Why are you sad, little one:_ One of the kinder voices that had defended him spoke up.

"I don't know." He whimpered.

_:It shall be fine. You speak with us again. You have ignored us.:_ Another whispered. Bakura sensed that there were five voices, two females and three males.

"I'm sorry?" He apologized, unsure of what he was apologizing for. He was just aware of doing something wrong.

_:You cannot be blamed.:_ one of the female voices soothed.

:_We shall be here to help you, young one.:_ Another chimed in.

Bakura had the feeling that this had happened before, when he was younger.

Wait, wasn't he young now?

Bakura was confused.

_:It shall be clear, in time. But promise us, young one, promise us that when you are back to normal you won't forget us:_ One voice pleaded.

Bakura was about to answer, but another voice added in his feelings.

_:We know you didn't mean to, but don't forget us again:_ There was such hope in the voice that Bakura, young as he was, couldn't help but agree.

"I promise." He said, feeling immensely comforted by his new five friends. "What are your names?" he asked. He couldn't refer to them as voices one through five.

_:No names have we that we remember, young one.:_ One commented sadly.

"Oh." Bakura said, downhearted. He grinned. "I'll think of some! And Ryou will help!" He said happily.

The voices were satisfied and pleased that he was happy.

Bakura, happy again, went running into the living room as the front door opened to admit the first of the gang.

Soon everyone was bedding down in the living room, and Bakura was playing with Joey again.

"So, Bakura. What did you do while I was getting my stuff?" Joey asked conversationally to the sweet chibi in front of him.

"I made some friends!" Bakura said happily.

"Really? What kind of friends? Anyone I know?" Joey asked.

Bakura giggled. "No! You can't see them!" he waved at his five new friends, mere wisps of fog to his eyes, and nothing but air to anyone else's.

"So they're imaginary?" Joey asked, a bit confused, looking in the direction Bakura waved.

"No, they's real." Bakura replied.

"So the Tomb Robber is now seeing things?" Yami asked, coming over and staring down at the chibi.

"Yami, be nice," Yugi reprimanded. Yami shrugged, and continued glaring at the little Bakura, who was confused again.

:_The Pharaoh…….: _one of the voices hissed.

"My friends are real," Bakura defended. "And they know you." He stood up and glared right back at Yami.

"What do you mean, Bakura?" Joey asked, a little nervously.

"They knows him to be Pharaoh, and they don't like him." Bakura said, grinning for a moment back at his friends.

They were more defined than they had been, actually taking on features. They were murmering in the background, and Bakura couldn't understand what they were saying, but he knew they were angry.

"Are you sure, Bakura? I don't see anything," Ryou asked, glancing about.

But Ryou felt something, he was sure of it.

"That's because they is ghosts." Bakura said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Ghosts?" Joey cried, backing away and glancing around.

"Yep. They says they is from…." Bakura's small face contorted in concentration.

He smiled as he got it.

"They is from Kuru Eruna."

(End Chapter)

Sorry for the short chapter, but I've been very busy lately, getting stuff done for senior year and getting stuff sent to the college that accepted me, etc.

Thanks to all reviewers.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Full disclaimer on first page.

Summary: Ryou decides it is time for his yami to learn household appliances and other modern day technology. But when an accident happens, Yami Bakura, Marik, and Malik start to de-age. What could happen now?

6/8/05

(………) Yami thinking

/………/ Hikari thinking

'………' Normal thought

"………" Normal speech

_:………….: spirits speech_

(A/N:………) Author's Note

**Chapter Fourteen**

That night Bakura lay in bed next to Ryou, the spirits hovering at the edges of his vision. They were playing their memories for him, showing him all they could recall about themselves. The memories were jumbled together, so it was kind of confusing to the young thief.

_**(This is based and modified from "Tales of Ancient Egypt" by Roger Green, or, more specifically, "Treasure Hunter".)**_

_The Pharaoh was Yami's father, and he was a teenager when he became Pharaoh. He inherited his father's kingdom._

_And his father's treasure._

_Early in his reign he defeated invasions from both Palestine and Libya; but after this he lived in relative peace with his neighbors and encouraged trading to such an extent he became the richest of all pharaohs. _

_The Pharoah gathered his treasures together in the form of gold and silver and precious stones – and the more he gathered the more he became worried that someone would steal it. _

_So he sent for a renowned builder. One who had constructed many wonderful buildings, and he ordered him to build a strong, guarded and well-trapped treasure house that no man will be able to force his way into. _

_So the Master Builder set all the stonemasons and slaves to work day and night, and under the care of the Master Builder the walls of the new building were reared high and the treasure was placed within the middle. _

_In the entrance he set sliding doors of stone, and others of iron and bronze; and when the untold riches of the Pharaoh as placed within, the doors were locked and each sealed tight._

_Yet the Master Builder played the Pharaoh false. In the thick wall of the Treasure House he made a small passage, with a stone at either end turning on a pivot that, when closed, looked and felt like another part of the smooth strong wall – except by those who knew where the hidden spring that held it closed was located._

_By means of this secret entrance, the Master Builder was able to add to the reward the Pharaoh had given him when the Treasure House was completed. Yet he did not add much, for he took ill and presently died._

_But not before he had told his two sons about the secret entrance, and how to find it. And when he was dead, they buried his body with all honor in the Tombs of the Nobles. That very night the two brothers went to see if their father was true in his knowledge._

Here two of the ghosts floated forwards, becoming more definite. Those were the two brothers.

_And soon the Pharaoh realized his treasure was beginning to grow mysteriously less._

_The Pharaoh was at a loss to understand how the thieves got in, for he checked the seals on the door and they had not been broken, but somehow someone was getting in. _

_At last the Pharaoh commanded cunning traps to be placed near the largest piles of treasure. _

_This was done secretly; and when next the two brothers made their way to the secret entrance to collect more gold and jewels, the first to step across the floor towards the chests was caught in one of the traps and knew at once that it would be impossible to escape. _

_So he called out. "Brother! If the Pharaoh finds me here, he will recognize you later and you shall be found out!"_

_He realized what his brother was saying._

"_No! I cannot! Please don't ask me to do this!" he begged, trying desperately to free his brother._

_For the brother was asking the other to slay him, so that he could live on without being recognized and hunted._

_The eldest commanded, begged, and tried to reason with this distraught brother, but the youngest said he would find a way to free him from the Pharaoh's grasp._

_But as he tried to free his brother, the Pharaoh and his guards came in. They saw the two brothers and slew both of them. _

_This took place just a little bit before Kuru Eruna, and the spirits of the two brothers had housed themselves in the little village, and had been caught along with the newly dead spirits when the village was destroyed._

The female spirit floated forwards, and caressed the side of Bakura's face.

_She had been doing the laundry, washing and scrubbing the robes and linen. _

_  
The dust swirled, and the sun was hot. _

_Suddenly someone yelled in fear, and she looked up, brushing her hair back._

_There were screams and cries, soon followed by the thunder of horses' hooves and war cries._

_She stood, backing away in fear, as she saw the Pharaoh's own personal guard come tearing through their little village, slaughtering all in their path._

_She was in that path._

_She turned to run, flinging laundry in a feeble attempt to shield herself. _

_It didn't work, the spear that was thrown by one of the guards caught her right in the back. She screamed, and fell._

_But she wasn't dead yet, she writhed on the ground, sobbing in pain, trying to reach the spear in the middle of her back._

_The guard continued coming at her with his large steed, and the iron shod hooves ran right over her._

_And her world went black. _

_That is, it went black until a certain young thief got a hold of the Ring, and put it on._

_Then she could see._

_Then she could feel._

_And now she told her story._

The young Bakura could feel their pain, and sadness. There was one woman left, and one man left, to share their memories.

The other woman had been out on the edges of the village, sheparding in the sheep that would be slaughtered in the morning.

_She was one of the first to be killed. _

_The horsemen rode up, whooping and hollering, and as she turned to stare at them they were upon her._

_She let out one scream of utter terror, and her sheep ran about, bleating in fear._

_They cut her down, and then ran their horses over all the sheep, before continuing into the village._

The man had come out to fight, ready to die for his family, who were huddled in the mud brick house.

_The fight was short, but he did wound one guard before he was knocked to the ground, and his last view was of a horse rearing above him, its hooves plummeting down towards his head._

Bakura shuddered, sobbing slightly.

Almost immediately the spirits were sorry for doing that to him, they had no right. They just wanted to show him what he had forgotten, and forgot themselves that he was only a child now.

Bakura smiled at their caring faces, and yawned.

"'Nite." He muttered, rolling over and snuggling up to Ryou.

There was a echoing response of "good night"

(End Chapter)

Whoo! Oh man, I'm soooo sorry people! But I've had graduation, college preparations, and my own stupid writer's block!

And now my parents put a parent blocker up, and it will block some really random stuff. It won't let me open random stories on and it won't let me open "O' Ra, why me?" So I can't see where I've left off. That is why I did this random chapter until I can figure it out!

Thanks to all who stuck with this, I will try to update faster!


	15. Author's Note

Okay…I'm really sorry people, but between college classes, homework, and a really bad how case of writer's block, I'm going to have to discontinue the story for a while. I'm really sorry! I'm out of ideas and can't think on how to finish the story. If you have some ideas, please review and let me know so that I can hopefully complete the story!


End file.
